Blumenthal Statement On Federal Highway Administration Guardrail Evaluation Report

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued the following statement after the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a report assessing the dimensions of ET-Plus guardrail end terminals installed nationally on roads and highways: 

“As demonstrated again today, FHWA’s guardrail testing has been consistently dumbfounding and deficient. FHWA repeatedly relies on guesswork, unsupported assumptions, and arbitrary choices. The agency neglected key measurements, rejected critical manufacturer information and completely ignored devices used in New England and the Northeast.

“FHWA’s lack of transparency and persistently-flawed methodology leaves the fundamental question: Are the 200,000 ET-Plus devices on our roads safe? After years of delay from FHWA, months of insufficient and outdated testing, failure to analyze real-world data, and lack of transparency, we need answers from DOT and we need them now.”