“We are going to do everything possible to make sure we change these guardrails out on our Kansas roads and now that will actually be taken up in our transportation committee,” said Rep. We also contacted every Kansas state lawmaker who sits on a transportation committee, and we called their offices and only one commented and agreed to do an on-camera interview with KSN. We also called Governor Laura Kelly’s office multiple times and wrote her emails. KDOT stopped allowing the use of X-Lite guardrails on new projects in March 2017.” KDOT KDOT began using X-Lite guardrails in January 2015, following review and approval by the Federal Highway Administration. As safety is the Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) top priority, the department has a plan in place to remove these terminals as part of our regularly scheduled highway improvement projects and/or when they are damaged. The Kansas state highway system has more than 15,000 guardrail end terminals, with 28 of those being X- Lite terminals. They declined an on-camera interview, and also sent us a statement saying:

So we requested an interview with the heads of KDOT. We wanted to hear from the people who make the decisions of what goes on our roads. Hein said our state has no plans to remove all of the guardrails at once. “Due to the performance concerns that were voiced nationally, KDOT began moving away from using X-Lite terminals,” said Hein. Numerous states, including Kansas, have confirmed that they’ve had no negative experiences with the X-LITE.” Lindsay Transportation Solutions roads and highways and did not lead to any conclusion that the X-Lite was unsafe. In FHWA’s evaluations, the X-LITE has performed consistently with other end terminals on U.S. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has examined and re-examined the X-LITE and its in-service performance and has gathered input from state departments of transportation across the United States. We reached out to Lindsay Transportation Solutions multiple times for an on-camera interview, but they declined our request. “It’s very painful when you think our children are on these roads, our friends are on these roads, why isn’t something being done?” asked Jansen. Now, his wife is suing Lindsay for wrongful death. The guardrail pierced through his car and the crash threw him through the back windshield, amputating his legs, and cutting his torso. The crash report from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) says George’s truck drifted off of a Missouri road on a clear morning. Little did she or the rest of the family know, that would be the last time they’d see him alive. “He had on a blue collar, and it was a little crumpled and our daughter reached up and said dad, you’re getting your evaluation, fix your shirt, you got to look good,” said Jansen. In 2017, he was on his way to Cincinnati from Overland Park, Kansas to visit family. We met Jansen on the three year anniversary of her husband George Jansen’s death. “I never dreamed of being a grandparent, I dreamed about being grandparents.” “Each time you pass you think, is that an X-Lite,” said Emily Jansen, who is currently suing the makers of the X-Lite. (DISCREPANCY: The open records request KSN received from KDOT’s Office of Chief Counsel from November 27, 2019, says there are 27 locations where you can find X-Lite guardrails, but in KDOT’s statement, the agency says 28.) According to the documents, there are 27 on roads run by the Kansas Department of Transportation and 11 operated by the Kansas Turnpike Authority. KSN News found out through open records requests that there are 38 places in our state where you can find these guardrails. Kansas still has some X-Lite guardrails on the road.

Some are blaming the guardrails on at least nine fatal crashes. But in 2020, dozens of states including Missouri and Oklahoma removed them. In 2017, they had about 14,000 guardrails on the roads across 29 states. The X-Lite guardrail is made by Lindsay Transportation Solutions. Some are blaming them for cutting off limbs and even killing people. But critics say instead of absorbing the hit, these guardrails are going through cars like a spike. They’re designed to protect you in a crash, keeping your car from veering off the road. But some of these guardrails remain on Kansas roads. Several states banned them saying they’re defective. (KSNW) – Do they keep you safe on the road, or are they too dangerous? It’s called the X-Lite Guardrail.

X lite guardrails