None of us wants to discover that our attenuator has not been crash tested. This is not a sentence you want to learn in the middle of your project and certainly not during an actual impact. However, many contractors will simply consider price and availability of trucks without ever considering the most important question: has this particular truck actually been crash tested and to what standard?

This guide will take you through what crash testing for a truck mounted attenuator actually entails, its importance for a Dubai road works project and how you can ensure it’s done before the problem before using the product.

This Is What “Crash Tested” Really Means Truck Mounted Attenuator Rental Dubai

The TMA (Thermal Mass Analyzer) is not just a piece of equipment that is assumed to function in a crash. It has undergone controlled physical testing in which vehicles have been driven into it at certain speeds and angles, and the amount of energy absorbed and the safety with which it has handled the impact has been measured. This type of testing delivers fact-based information about risk to occupants, vehicle behaviour following an impact and structural performance, with manufacturers only being able to label a vehicle as ‘crash tested’ once it has met these set criteria.

This is regulated by two key testing frameworks in the road safety world. The age-old standard is the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350 or NCHRP 350. Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware or MASH is the newer, more stringent system. As industry standards become tighter, regulators in most markets, including the UAE, have been moving towards implementing mandatory MASH certification.

Understanding Test Levels Truck Mounted Attenuator Rental Dubai

Crash testing does not consist solely of a pass/fail. Attenuators are rated according to the various test levels, corresponding to various levels of speed and severity of impact that the unit is designed to withstand. Test Level 3 (TL-3) is the level that is most applicable for Dubai’s higher speed roadways, as it represents impacts at higher level of representative speeds for a highway. Faster roads have lower ratings; the slower roads have even lower ratings, but a lower-rated unit on a high-speed road is defeating the purpose of the rating.

This is where most of the confusion occurs on project sites. If a TMA’s test level is not equal to the speed of the road you are working on, a TMA can actually be crash tested and still be the wrong choice for your project. Being crash tested is not the whole solution. The real requirement is crash tested to the appropriate level for the road.

Specifically in Dubai, Why Is This Important?

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority incorporates this in the application process for road works permits. According to traffic diversion drawing guidelines from RTA, all traffic management shown on a traffic management layout should be certified as MASH or NCHRP 350 Test Level 3, with the TL-3 rating specifically being for speeds of 80 km/h and higher. Sheikh Zayed Road, Emirates Road and most of the major arterial roads in Dubai fall under that category.

This implies that the crash-test certification is more than just a safety nice-to-have: it is a documented requirement that your project will have to pass before you can legally begin work. If a rental company cannot provide these documents, they’re not only a safety problem, they’re also a permit-approval problem, as well, which can doom your project before it begins.

How to Ensure That a Unit Is Genuinely Crash Tested

Just because someone says they are crash tested does not mean they are, to begin with, as asking is the wrong question to make in isolation for, as it were, your project. A better way is to specify the certification standard (MASH or NCHRP 350), and the specific test level (MASH 1 through 5 or NCHRP 350) then ask for documentation provided by the manufacturer that verifies the test level. A quality provider will keep this information organized and provide it readily, as that’s what they will need for your permit anyway.

Also make sure to check the production date of the unit. Testing codes continue to change, and the majority of new units are likely to be required to comply with current MASH codes, with older units built prior to certain cut-off dates still being able to comply with the NCHRP 350 approval for a limited period until the new codes take effect. Both are not necessarily incorrect, but it’s important to understand which one you’re renting to ensure clarity with compliance.

What If the Unit Is Not Properly Rated?

It is not a simple matter of a technicality to hire an uncertified or under-rated TMA for a high-speed road. There are several potential problems when the test level is not the same for the unit as for your road.

Your RTA permit submission may be rejected and you may be forced to spend time trying to find a compliant unit, which will waste time. Your RTA permit submission could get denied, wasting project time as you scramble to find a compliant unit. Worse, if you actually do have an impact, and the attenuator is not rated for that speed, it may not absorb the impact as intended, and may actually endanger your crew and the driver who struck it, not protect them, and that’s the whole point of the attenuator.

Both of them are not worth the lesser amount of money saved when renting a lower-rated unit and hoping it’s close enough.

Questions to Ask When You Rent a Facility

It is advisable to go through a quick short checklist of questions before confirming any TMA rental in Dubai.

• Inquire about the certification under which the unit is registered (MASH or NCHRP 350).
• Specifically request the use of the test level, as most roads in Dubai will be classified as TL-3.
• Ask for the manufacturer’s certification document, not a verbal confirmation.
• Inquire about the unit’s manufacture date and last inspection date.
• Then check to see if the provider has assisted with RTA permit applications in the past, as you can expect they’ll know what paperwork you’ll require.

Even if the price of a less explicit provider is lower down the road, it’s not worth working with if he doesn’t answer all this clearly, quickly and in actual papers.

NPR Has Been in Existence for Over 20 Years. NPR Is More Than Just the Certification

While crash test certification is the cornerstone, it’s not the full picture of safety. It is also essential that the unit is fitted with the correct amber warning lights which can be seen from all directions around the truck, a properly functioning LED arrow board to direct traffic clearly and reflective chevron markings to meet the RTA specification. The trained operator is also a crucial component, because even a well-tested attenuator is only as effective as the instructions given by the person operating it; even in the stationary mode, for instance, proper following distances are essential, and in the mobile mode it’s even more important for the driver to know what to do in case the attenuator is hit.

Don’t consider crash-test certification to be the endpoint, the starting point. It will become a complete safety system on your site when it’s complemented by the rest of the package: warning systems, trained operators, and proper insurance coverage.

Actually, the Choice of the Right Project Is the Most Crucial Thing to Consider When You Are About to Begin a Project

Don’t use the cheapest or most easily available certification level if it is not the one you really need for the road you are driving on. The internal site road could be considered using a lower test level unit, but anything on Dubai’s major roadways should be tested at TL-3 or higher, as per the minimum standards. If you have any questions, contact your provider directly and find out which rating is best for the job; if they tell you it’ll be fine, direct it back to them.

The Bottom Line on Truck Mounted Attenuator Rental Dubai

The only things a crash tested truck mounted attenuator rental in Dubai is good for are crash tests, crash tests, and crash tests. MASH or NCHRP 350 TL-3 rating is not for the sake of the paper, it’s the difference between equipment that performs as intended in an actual impact and some equipment that looks the part. Request the documentation; verify that the test level is compatible with your road’s speed classification; select a provider that does not make it a burden to ask this question. This is an important detail that can save your crew’s life.