A business delegation accompanying Princess Astrid of Belgium to South India will meet top police officials in Tamil Nadu on November 29 and explain the applications of ‘Zip Pole’, a specially designed steel column that can be used for mounting traffic signals, surveillance cameras and lights. The salient feature of the energy-absorbing column is that it minimises the damage to vehicles in the event of a collision and protects passengers from major injuries, police sources said.
Owners of ‘Safety Product NV’, a Belgium-based firm that provides safe solutions for road infrastructure, are expected to meet Additional Director-General of Police (State Traffic Planning Cell) S. Rajendran here and introduce the concept of ‘Zip Pole’.
In reinforced-concrete or steel columns used for signals or lighting, a speeding vehicle that collides accidentally would suffer damage and the possibility of serious injuries to the driver/passengers is high.
After conducting several crash tests, the company claims in its website >www.zippole.com that the passive safe column ‘ZIP Pole’ saves lives. In case of an impact, the strong conical shape would change into a soft ribbon. While the pole yields, the speed of the vehicle would slow down gradually. The possibility of an injury or fatality would be reduced to a great extent. The column also boasts of an innovative corrosion protection with Magnelis, a metallic steel coating, which provides surface protection against long-term wear and tear.
