Cork's RotaRail offers the next level of safety to vulnerable road users as schools return

WITH thousands of children and teenagers returning to school across Cork last week, the thoughts of many parents and guardians will have turned to road safety as many students walk or cycle to school.

One Cork company is aiming to put parents and guardians’ minds at ease with their recently launched, road safety product.

West Cork based engineering start-up, RotaRail, relaunched their revolutionary road safety product ahead of the return to school in a bid to reduce casualties on Irish roads.

The RotaRail is a completely unique articulated arm that allows the fitting of an additional safety rail to existing truck and trailer side guard systems known as lateral protection devices (LPD’s).

This unique articulation allows a safety rail to be fitted in much closer proximity to the ground offering far superior safety margins to both pedestrians and vulnerable road users when both come into close proximity.

While running near the road surface, conventional rigid attachment of a lower level safety rail would result in the rail being damaged or possibly ripped/broken off by speed bumps, ramps, or undulation road surfaces causing a serious risk to other road users. ROTA RAIL’s unique design allows the additional lower-level rail to deflect both forwards and rearwards in the longitudinal axis of a truck/trailer while retaining all of the required lateral rigidity to greatly reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users when they are in close confines.

Current legislation requires LPD’s to be within 500mm above flat terrain but no closer. However, research has shown that this 500mm measurement is far too high and results in a high number of entanglement accidents each year.

RotaRail’s unique, patented and trademarked innovation allows this open space to be greatly reduced offering much higher levels of protection to pedestrians and vulnerable road users and reducing risk to truck operators and drivers.

In 2016, Bandon-based Ronan Twomey was approached with the concept for the RotaRail product that prevents road users from sliding underneath a truck or articulated vehicle.

“The idea came from a businessman with a large fleet of trucks who needed help to turn the idea into a reality,” explained Ronan, whose business, Twomey Engineering, developed the prototype over the years to be ready for market now in 2023.

Twomey Precision Engineering Ltd. specialises in the production of quality precision-machined components to high tolerances. Founded by Ronan in 2005, the business has secured several contracts with leading manufacturers in both medical device and pharmaceutical sectors.

Between Ronan and his experienced senior staff there are over 100 years combined experience in the manufacture of high value machined parts.

Twomey Precision Engineering has a mission to be a leader in providing customised world-class manufacturing solutions in Ireland.

“Although most heavy goods vehicles have existing rigid lateral protection guards, they are positioned relatively high mainly because mounting them any lower runs the risk of damage from speed bumps, potholes and ramps,” Ronan explained further, in relation to the RotaRail.

“RotaRail is unique because its patented articulated arm design allows it to move backwards and forwards to cope with obstructions without compromising lateral safety, and it enables it to be fitted much lower to the ground.

“Research has shown that while the law requires lateral protection devices to be 500mm above the ground, this is too high to protect people in real-life situations.

“Sadly, this height is not satisfactory as we have seen an increase in the number of entanglement accidents each year which is very worrying when schools return as there is a higher volume of pedestrians and cyclists on the road,” Ronan added.

The RotaRail allows the open space to be reduced, thereby greatly improving outcomes for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users and reducing risk for truck operators and drivers.

“Ours is the only device of its kind that allows the articulation of a safety rail while meeting all current road safety regulations,” added Shane Twomey, head of design at RotaRail.

“RotaRail represents a completely new market for our company, but also a completely new and untapped segment within the transport safety sector.

“Our focus now is on getting product sales in Ireland, the UK, and Europe,” he said.

The product has worldwide applications and can be used on rigid and articulated trucks. It is currently being used by some of Musgraves fleet, which has one of the largest fleets in the country.

People can find out the greater levels of safety to pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable road users that the RotaRail Safety guard provides by visiting www.rotarail.com.