Traffic accidents attract the attention of other road users. The most drivers have the natural compulsion to look at other people's misery and accidents on other lanes, therefore rubbernecking and dangerous situations are frequently the consequences. Not paying attention to the traffic in front is perilous! At the settlement of traffic accidents (on highways) it's important to keep the pace, to distract the free lanes as less as possible and to further the circulation of the traffic.

Storage activities, ambulances, employment of the fire-brigade and police and also clean-up activities get the attention of other road users. Looking at the consequences of incidents as well as unconsciously releasing the accelerator, causes traffic that's intermittently, with has as additional effect that there's a chance of secondary accidents and an unwanted increase of the traffic-jam.

We've worked years for this innovative solution, because rubbernecking becomes a bigger problem and charges our economy. This patented invention consists of a trailer with special clips and quick unrollable incident screens. The unrollable screens, with a length of 100 up to 200 meters, are simply attached to the crash barrier. Successful results in practice and a very extended research by the English Highway Agency shows that rubbernecking decreases rapidly and often solves automatically by fast screening off attention attracting events.

Because the screening off of incidents in a too short length offers little solace, our long incident screens are designed in such a way that several incident screens can be placed in succession. Through the possibility to use as much screen as needed, the attention attracting factor of the sight on assistance-vehicles can be completely taken away behind these screens.

A well-considered (patented) flap system in the green coloured incident screens opens (and closes) automatically as soon as the wind increases and decreases. At this design the wind has been taken into account so that the security of this system is guaranteed.

Since 1997 several districts of "Rijkswaterstaat" (Dutch Highway Agency) have put it to the test. It has been shown that with the screens positive results can be achieved. Traffic experts of "Rijkswaterstaat" who have seen this system in action, are convinced that these screens can be a valuable contribution at pushing back the problem of rubbernecking.

Also in practice this seems to be the case. For the problem of rubbernecking in England (especially on the M25), our 200 meter long screens are been used by the "Highway-Agency". We even produced two new systems for the different types of barriers in England.

Facts concerning the use of incident screens:

The very strong, yet flexible screen can be assembled, using simple attachments, on the crash barriers and is fabricated in such a way that it can be used even at force 6 gale. With the use of these screens the location of the accident can be protected optimally, there is less chance on rubbernecking and accidents on the other lanes. Besides, the privacy of possible victims can be taken into account.

The screen is also appropriate for planned renovations or for the construction of new buildings (for example activities in the verge or replacement of bridge parts). The placing on the crash barriers for a length of 200 meters only takes 12 to 14 minutes.

We work constantly on new designs which can used more widely for the screening of incidents.