Wire-rope crash barriers used across the State on existing and new road projects pose a serious danger to motorcyclists and should be banned, Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins said today.
The barriers have been banned in some EU countries because motorcyclists suffered severed limbs after colliding with the wire ropes or were impaled on the stakes which support them.
The European Committee for Standardisation agreed to review the standards and specifications for motor barriers at a meeting in Oslo earlier this year following representations from the Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA).
Holland became the latest member state to ban wire-rope barriers but have run into difficulties in replacing them because of the absence of EU-wide standards.
Aline Delahaye general secretary of the Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA) said a particular problem was the absence of standards for testing barriers in relation to their safety for motorcyclists.
"We need to ensure that it does not take 10 years to address, not only the installation of new guard rails, but also the removal of the existing rails," Ms Delahaye said.
The National Roads Authority installs the barriers on all roads with central medians of 15 metres or less.
Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins said it was "obvious" they were a major hazard to motorcyclists and called for the NRA to take action.
"While the technical specifications recommended by the European Committee for Standardisation must be awaited, on the other hand there is no reason that Ireland and the NRA should not follow the example set by Britain, Austria, Norway and the Netherlands," Mr Higgins said.
A spokesman for the NRA said it would not follow the lead of other countries because the standards have not been changed.
"But we look forward to the results of review and will continue to follow all current EU standards," the spokesman said.