A Guide Rail is a system designed to guide vehicles back to the roadway and away from potentially hazardous situations. There is a legal distinction between a Guide rail and a Guard rail

Guard rail

Guard rail or guardrail, sometimes referred to as guide rail or railing, is a system designed to keep people or vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limits areas...

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Guide Rail Types

There are several types of guide rail, which are engineered for use as a road side guide. Such systems include W-beam, box beam, cable, and concrete barrier. Each system is intended to guide vehicles back onto the road as opposed to guard them from going off.

Guide Rail vs Guardrail

Guide rail is often mistaken for guardrail, but the official name was changed to guide rail because of a lawsuit. The parents of a child were suing a state because their child had gone through the "guardrail" and was killed. They claimed that the "guardrail" should have guarded their child from such an accident and were suing because the "guardrail" did not perform as its name suggested. When the expert witness took the stand it was clarified that the rails were intended to steer and "guide" vehicles back onto the road, they were never designed to guard vehicles from going off. One could argue that the most technically correct name when referring to road side rails is guide rail.

See also

• Baluster
  Baluster
  A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
  
  
• Concrete step barrier
  Concrete step barrier
  A concrete step barrier is a safety barrier used on the central reservation of motorways and dual carriageways as an alternative to the standard steel crash barrier.The barrier has contained all vehicles up to 13.5 tonnes.-United Kingdom:...
  
  
• Crash barrier
• Handrail
  Handrail
  A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide stability or support. Handrails are commonly used while ascending or descending stairways and escalators in order to prevent injurious falls. Other applications include bathroom handrails—which help to prevent falls on...
  
  
• Jersey barrier
  Jersey barrier
  A Jersey barrier or Jersey wall is a modular concrete barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to both minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing crossover in the case of head-on accidents....