The Barnes Firm

California Bans X-Lite Guardrails After Multiple Fatalities Across America

• October 26, 2018
• Sandy

Drivers across California may be able to breathe a sigh of relief. State officials have decided to ban the deadly X-Lite Guardrails that have been responsible for dozens of accidents across the state.

The controversial guardrails have been the cause of considerable woes for many families and the California Highway Patrol in recent years. Their potentially-flawed designs have directly resulted in dozens of deaths.

Here’s all you need to know about the ban of X-Lite Guardrails in California.

X-Lite Guardrails Have Been a Problem for Some Time

According to The Barnes Firm car accident attorneys, California joins the ranks of 12 other states who have also made moves to ban and start replacing all X-Lite Guardrails from highways. Safety advocates say many deaths across America have been attributed to thees faulty rails. A number of recent high-profile fatalities are what finally prompted the government to take some action.

One of the most prominent incidents was the death of Gonzalo Martinez on Interstate 8 near San Diego. After losing control of the vehicle, an X-Lite Guardrail pierced the windshield. It traveled through the entire car, extending 20-feet out the rear of the car before it came to a halt.

There have been similar cases of the Lindsay X-Lite Guardrail impaling a vehicle rather than protecting the driver. Finally, state lawmakers in California have determined the X-Lite Guardrails on California highways is a threat to all motorists.

Why Were X-Lite Guardrails Installed in the First Place?

According to the Lindsay Corporation, the X-Lite was designed as an approved piece of smart technology to prevent road deaths. The guardrail was created to act as a kind of accordion, whereby it would bend and distort to absorb most of the impact force from a crashing vehicle.

Guardrails are typically installed to limit driver harm in the event of an accident. These particular X-Lite guardrails passed multiple road safety tests, but many opponents claim these tests were inefficient, and often failed to test head-on collisions, the top cause of fatalities involving X-Lite guardrails.

What To Expect in the Future

Although the X-Lite guardrails won’t be installed on any more highways, many of these guardrails will remain in-place along California highways.

The process of replacing them, in California and elsewhere, is often time-consuming. The guardrails can’t simply be removed (since that would also leave major safety gaps). Therefore, they must be replaced with a safer design that also meets roadway engineering standards.

Protect Yourself

The Barnes Firm always urges drivers to exercise extreme caution on the roads. This is especially true during this current period.

If you have already experienced an accident or injury relating to the X-Lite Guardrail in San Diego, an experienced (practice area) attorney can help you get compensation for things like:

• Medical bills
• lost wages
• pain and suffering
• transportation costs
• rehabilitiation
• and more

For more information on receiving compensation for a car accident injury, contact The Barnes Firm to for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney in Los Angeles, San Diego, or the Bay Area.

The Barnes Firm (800) 800-0000