When it comes to choosing safety barriers for your site, reliability matters. If you’re protecting people, equipment, and infrastructure from fast-moving vehicles, you need reassurance that the product you’re investing in won’t let you down.
One of the most common questions we hear is: “Do polymer barriers shatter on impact?”
It’s a fair concern. And it’s one we’re happy to answer clearly.
In fact, they’re specifically designed to flex, absorb energy, and return to shape - preventing the kind of catastrophic failure you might get with steel or lower-grade plastics. But let’s explain why.
It’s easy to assume that all plastic-looking materials behave the same way. The reality is more complex.
Clarity’s barriers are manufactured in partnership with MPM, using a specially formulated impact-modified PVC. This isn’t the same rigid plastic you might find in a cheap roadside bollard or a low-grade post.
Instead, it’s engineered with elastomers, which are specialist additives that increase flexibility without sacrificing strength. So rather than cracking or shattering, the material flexes under pressure and disperses the energy of the impact across the structure.
This is the same principle behind the ‘memory’ of a bumper on a car, except the barriers are designed for the impacts commonly seen in industrial environments.
When a forklift or HGV strikes a Clarity barrier, a few things happen almost instantly:
The rounded face of the barrier takes the brunt of the hit
Internal reinforcements and dowels spread the impact through the system
The post base flexes, reducing stress on the floor fixings
And crucially, the polymer deforms without snapping
Because of this design, both the vehicle and the infrastructure behind the barrier are protected, and the barrier itself remains intact in most scenarios.
In fact, many of our installations see the same barriers performing for years without needing replacement, even after repeated minor impacts.
You’re not wrong.
Some suppliers use polypropylene blends or unmodified plastics, which can become brittle, especially in colder conditions. That’s why we use high-performance PVC with elastomer additives, which retain impact resistance across a wider temperature range.
If you want to see what happens during testing, visit our barrier testing page for photos and videos of real-world impact simulation.
You can watch how our barriers compare below.
If you’re installing barriers outside, exposure to the elements can raise concerns. Cold temperatures, UV exposure, and moisture can all degrade some polymers over time.
That’s why Clarity’s MPM barriers are UV stabilised, fire tested, and resistant to environmental ageing — all tested to relevant standards.
For more on external suitability, read: Are Polymer Barriers Strong Enough for External Yards? How Do They Compare to Steel?
In the unlikely event that a barrier does take a hit beyond its impact rating, our modular system design means you can replace just the damaged section — not the entire unit.
And the best part? If you install your barriers correctly (either yourself or through us), you’ll still be covered by our industry-leading 2-year warranty.
Talk to an expert today, or explore our barrier range to see what might work best for your site, or you can download our barrier brochure below.