Course Protection

There are several objectives for course protection and safety barriers, including;

1. To keep the carties from coming into contact with the spectators.
2. To protect the carties and drivers from trackside hazards such as sign posts, kerbs, steep drops, etc.
3. Course delineation.

There are several different barrier types, including;

• Small bales

Small bales are the often the instinctive first choice when laying out a cartie couse. They are relatively easy to handle and can be very effective in some cirmcumstances. However, there are some serios drawbacks too.

Firstly, they can be very hard to source, since they are not commonly produced. In early summer they can be especially hrd to find. Also, they are only effective as safety barriers at relatively low speeds. A cartie travelling at speed will knock a single bale out if the way without any noticeable effect on its speed, so a great many will be needed to stack in a wall that is high enough and thick enough to stop a cartie. Single lines of bales are simply not adequate except for very low speed events.

Small bales are also easily dammaged, either by collisions or by heavy rain. 

Finally, spectators find it almost impossible not to treat them as general purpose seating, picnic tables, etc, so if you are using them as safety barriers you will need to spend a lot of time asking people not to sit on them.They are also irresistable to anyone under the age of 12, and two dozen unattended bales will very rapidly become a large pile of loose straw in the presence of even a small group of children.

• Large bales

Large bales (typically 8'x4'x2' "quads") are ideal for keeping the carties and the spectators appart, or if there is a hazard such as a steep drop that you need to protect. If you positively, absolutely have to stop a cartie, then a line of large bales is ideal. However, there are some drawbacks. As with small bales, they can be hard to source at certain times of year. They are also too large to be manhandled, so you will need to find some form of machinery to place them and remove them after the event. They are, however, somewhat resistant to dammage from rain and so are less likely to be spoiled by bad weather. They are also more robust and less prone to bursting.

Large bales are not very forgiving and will bring a cartie to a very abrupt stop. If hit at speed, this is likely to cause some injury to anyone in the cartie.

• Tyres

As a barrier, tyres suffer from the same problems as small bales. They are too small and light to stop a cartie travelling at speed and will simply be knocked out of the way unless there are a great many of them. However, they are realtively easy to sourse since many garages will give them away (although they might not want them back!) They are weather proof and, provided you can find somewhere to store them, can be used for may years.

They can be formed into a much more resilient barrier by bolting them together into "towers" of 4 or 5, which can still be handled relatively easily but are much better at stopping a cartie. To make an even more effective barrier, they can be linked together using (e.g.) eye bolts and shackles to form a single barrier.

However, you may need a license to handle and store them since they are controlled waste, and you may also find you will be liable to pay for them to be disposed of when they are no longer used.

• Traffic barriers

• Portable fencing, plastic mesh fencing and barrier tape 

Light weight fencing and barrier tape is clearly no use is providing direct protection to spectators and competitors. It is, however, a quick and effective way to mark off areas where you do not wnt people to be. Barrier tape should not be used on its own, however, and you will still need plenty of clearly worded signs and the physical presence of one or more marshalls to keep people out.