Abstract: A road crash barrier including a wooden rail (1), which may be formed of horizontal rail elements (3) assembled end to end, supported by posts (2). The rail (1) is covered over a portion of its surface by elongate plane rectangular plates (5) of small section which are fixed against a surface of the rail (1) facing away from the road traffic axis (13). The rectangular plates lie in the horizontal plane that includes the axis of the rail, and may include one or more deformation zones formed by a fold in the plate. At ends of the rectangular plates (5) are holes through which bolts (9) pass to fix a plate to an adjacent coupling plate, and the associated wooden element (3). At least one end of some of the plates have elongate shape holes (12).

Abstract: Road safety guardrails are constituted by vertical wooden posts carrying at least one horizontal rail made up of wooden logs which are connected end-to-end by pairs of metal straps which are interconnected by bolts, each passing through both straps and one or other of the logs. Each inter-log connection is reinforced by incorporating metal rods that run through each log and intersect the diametrical plane containing the bolts for interconnecting the straps.