Impact Recovery System’s SlowStop moves into the fast lane

For around three years Texas-based Impact Recovery Systems had been distributing the modular made-in-Belgium SlowStop Bollard, previously called SoftStop, in the United States. But since November, the company bought the world rights for the system from its inventor, Gerard Wolters.
April 5, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Greg Hannah of Impact Recovery Systems with the SlowStop Bollard

For around three years Texas-based 543 Impact Recovery Systems had been distributing the modular made-in-Belgium SlowStop Bollard, previously called SoftStop, in the United States. But since November, the company bought the world rights for the system from its inventor, Gerard Wolters.

The basic sprung unit is a cast iron riser housing a large natural rubber ring – elastomer – into which a hollow steel bollard tube is inserted. Installation starts with the base’s being screwed onto a concrete surface. No special securing tools are needed, nor core drilling.

The beauty of this construction, said Impact Recovery president Greg Hannah, is that various preventative barrier formations can easily be configured.

The posts are able to bend 20 degrees from vertical as it progressively absorbs energy to soften the impact of the vehicle. This makes the product also ideal for distribution centres and any areas where slow moving vehicles may come into contact with objects, such as warehouses and distribution centres.

The company’s “bread and butter” product is its mechanical steel spring sign posts that are favoured by municipal and regional government’s since 1991, said Hannah, who has been with the company since it started. Many are used as street furniture for directional road signs. But there is also a large market in Europe and the United States for use along bicycle paths, he said.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Virginia Tech reveals vested interest
    May 9, 2019
    New ITS systems on either side of the Atlantic – such as an intriguing piece of connected clothing – aim to reduce the casualty toll among road maintenance personnel, says Alan Dron t’s not a lot of fun working on road maintenance or road construction worksites. By definition, you’re out in all weathers. You’re not popular with motorists, who blame you for hold-ups. It’s frequently physically arduous. And, worst of all, the sector has an unenviable record of injuries - even fatalities. Often working jus
    Read More
  • Machine vision’s transport offerings move on apace
    June 30, 2016
    Colin Sowman considers some of the latest advances in camera technology and transport-related vision technology applications. Vision technology in the transportation sector is moving apace as technical developments on both the hardware and software sides combine to make cameras more multifunctional with a single digital camera now able to cover a multitude of tasks.
    Read More
  • NTTA: Diversity boosts access & opportunity
    November 3, 2021
    North Texas Tollway Authority has won IBTTA’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award. But what made the organisation’s focus on disadvantaged, minority and woman business enterprises stand out?
    Read More
  • Cross border enforcement a logical step
    January 30, 2012
    The logic supporting a cross-border enforcement Directive for the European Union (EU) is both detailed and compelling. The White Paper on European transport policy published in 2001 included the ambitious objective of reducing by 50 per cent by 2010 the number of people killed on the roads of the EU. But since 2005 the reduction in the number of road deaths has been slowing down: overall, the period from 2001 until 2009 saw the number of fatalities decrease by 36 per cent. According to Community indicators,
    Read More

Highlighted Content