Yellow Harsh Bars: 4 Costly Mistakes Road Users Make

Yellow Harsh Bars
A Yellow Harsh Bars road design that guide motorists.
Kenyans.co.ke

Locally known as painted islands, Yellow Harsh Bars are a technical demarcation that defines a no-passing zone pavement. 

Yellow Harsh Bars offer a no-passing zone that guides drivers on where they cannot safely pass. 

These bars come in different shapes and colours including pennant shaped, meaning that the sign tapers into a horizontally oriented isosceles triangle shape. 

In Kenya, Yellow Harsh Bars assume the colour yellow, and they are place on the left-hand side of roads and highways to warn drivers that they are entering a no-passing zone.

Yellow Harsh Bars
Yellow Harsh Bars designs on the road.
Kenyans.co.ke

1. Where they are used? 

As part of road safety management, Yellow Harsh Bars are often placed at an accident blackspot. 

Yellow Harsh Bars are, therefore, used to warn motorists of the existence of danger including a narrow road ahead, potential coalition or sharp drop. 

Yellow Harsh Bars are often placed around a corner in a straight road, so oncoming traffic is concealed.

They are also designated at a hidden junction on a fast road, poor or concealed warning signs at a crossroads so as to give enough space for incoming trucks. 

Besides using Yellow Harsh Bars at dangerous roads, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) also places signage, speed restrictions, improving sightlines, straightening bends, or speed cameras in order to mitigate possible risks. 

3. Common Mistakes

i) Driving on the painted islands is prohibited 

Unlike what many Kenyan drivers often do, it is illegal to drive on Yellow Harsh Bars as it may lead to serious accidents. 

It's even worse to overtake on Yellow Harsh Bars since that may possibly lead to a serious head-on collision with oncoming vehicles.  

ii) Driving on the painted islands is likely to lead to an accident 

Ignoring Yellow Harsh Bars is costly since they are normally placed around danger zones where there is a high possibility of an accident. 

It will be hard to get compensation if a motorist gets into an accident on Yellow Harsh Bars since driving on the painted islands is prohibited. 

iii) Grigged painted islands may damage tyres 

Some Yellow Harsh Bars are rigged with light barriers which may end up damaging car tyres in order to avert possible accidents. 

iv) Painted islands are meant to keep motorists out of potential danger 

A motorist risks suffering regressions and an ultimate accident when driving on Yellow Harsh Bars, especially, when moving at a high speed. 

Yellow Harsh Bars are not meant to create space for vehicles to overtake without due regard to the nature of the road. 

All road users are therefore advised to avoid Yellow Harsh Bars as there is always a potential danger associated with using the painted islands. 

An artistic impression of the Nairobi-Mau Summit Highway set to be built by the government.
An artistic impression of the Nairobi-Mau Summit Highway set to be built by the government.
AFDB
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