Heavy electric cars are more likely to smash through ‘out of date’ safety barriers on motorways, a transport trade body has warned.
The Vehicle Restraint Manufacturers Association (VRMA) has written to the Government with a warning that outdated safety barriers aren’t built to withstand the force of electric cars and are putting lives at risk.
While traditional petrol and diesel cars weigh around 1.5 tonnes, electric vehicles – with their bulky battery packs – weight between 1.8 and 2.2 tonnes, the group , which represents UK road safety equipment firms, says.
But the metal barriers lining Britain’s roads are still designed to cope only with standards set back in 1998 and are tested with 1.5-tonne vehicles.
The VRMA is demanding ‘urgent action’ calling for immediate inspections of high-risk areas such as motorway bridges and high-speed roads.
The group warns that heavier vehicles moving at high speeds generate far greater force in a crash increasing the likelihood that a barrier will collapse or even send a car careering into oncoming traffic.
In a letter sent to National Highways and seen by the Telegraph reads: ‘The failure to address this issue could lead to preventable fatalities, more severe accidents and legal liabilities for governing authorities,’ a letter, seen by The Telegraph, says.
Colin Abbott, the joint chairman of the VRMA and director of SSR Limited, said: ‘My concern is that the lives and safety of motorists driving electric vehicles are being put at risk.’
A study by the University of Nebraska last year found that electric vehicles have a lower centre of gravity due to heavier batteries and are capable of smashing through crash barriers
The Vehicle Restraint Manufacturers Association (VRMA), which represents UK road safety equipment firms, has written to the Government with a warning that outdated safety barriers aren’t built to withstand the force of electric cars
While traditional petrol and diesel cars weigh around 1.5 tonnes, electric vehicles – with their bulky battery packs – weight between 1.8 and 2.2 tonnes, the group says
Most roadside barriers, he explained, only meet the minimum safety requirements meaning they may not be able to withstand the impact of a much heavier electric car.
‘While switching to electric cars is essential to cutting emissions, it brings a critical and overlooked issue: can our barriers actually keep these heavier vehicles from breaking through?’ he added.
In 2023, National Highways commissioned a £30,000 study to examine the risks but the findings have yet to be released.
This has promoted the VRMA to warn that the lack of an ‘immediate response to these concerns leaves the UK’s road network vulnerable to safety failures’.
National Highways said at time it did not know of any crash barrier tests involving electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, a study by the University of Nebraska last year found that electric vehicles, which can be up to 50 per cent heavier than petrol cars, have a lower centre of gravity due to heavier batteries and are capable of smashing through crash barriers in the US.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘Standards on high-speed roadside barriers are continually under review and National Highways is currently exploring any updates needed.
‘Meanwhile, there is a comprehensive programme of upgrades in place and National Highways has installed or renewed over 900 miles of safety barriers between 2020 and 2024, prioritising the busiest motorways to ensure maximum benefit.’
