Here's a Caltrans owned light pole at a surface street intersection with a freeway ramp right by CA 134 in Glendale. The fixture's slipfitter was still on the arm. The breakaway slip base was still attached to the 4 bolt pole base.
Breakaway bases are required on freeways unless they are protected by guardrails, jersey barriers or sound walls, or else your car would be sliced in half.
Yeah breakaway bases are not "stupid" at all when used on a freeway. I have an old document from the MTO from back when they tested breakaway vs non breakaway poles back in the 60s...the difference in damage between the two was shocking.
I have seen a car that did a number on 4 poles in a row. No's 1,2,3 were snapped off clean and in multiple pieces, and no 4 was still upright, on his lap, just a little bit shorter. 1 to 3 were wooden poles, no 4 was concrete. Big pool around the car that we drove through, which was not coolant or oil. Had to wash the car underneath with a fire hose when we stopped at our destination.
They're designed to fall the opposite direction of the impact, but there's always that slim chance.... IMO, while they do save lives, they're a nusance as poles get knocked down way to easily and it costs money to reinstall the pole and a new light with the new breakaway nuts.
I don't know I wouldn't really call them a nuisance since they are proven to save lives, and plus who decided that a streetlight's life or the costs associated with them is more important than the driver's well being. For freeways breakaway poles are a must IMO.
@Mike, if there is no breakaway design present, it is more likely the concrete electrolier will be damaged in a roadkill and it will result in more costly repairs. Breakaway mounts are designed for a simple and quick reinstallation, and since California uses steel light poles they sometimes are in good enough a shape to be reused, this pole might be reused.
Another roadkill just now! While waiting for my order at In n out Burger I am watching some crews remove a knocked down light pole. The pole was a concrete type and the car was badly dented right in the middle up front. Scary!
Sure breakaway bases in highways where there is no other traffic may be a good idea, but in crowded cities they are going to cause more damage than it is worth. And I have no sympathy for the idiots the tend to crash into lights, sure there may be the odd mistake but most of the time it is plain stupidity.
Yes, well Jace, people who get into crashes are generally not paying attention, talking on their cell phones, or texting and are likely to do it again, so quite honestly, maybe using non-breakaway poles will teach them something. Break away poles are just caitering to bad drivers. If we didn't have breakaway poles to protect bad drivers, there wouldn't be any bad drivers on the road hence the roads will be safer.
Mike, think about it. Why are there laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets and why cars have seatbelts? Is it to keep drunk drivers and/or innocent people from being killed or is it a way for the government to avoid paying your medical and therapy expenses if you don't have insurance? (Hospitals are required to accept patients if they are gravely injured or ill, regardless of insurance).
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tell me....which would you prefer...the streetlight's life or YOUR OWN LIFE?!