MASH, Plainly: What the Standard Requires of Your TMA
MASH 2016 replaced NCHRP 350 and reshaped what a compliant attenuator looks like. Here is what the standard requires, in language a fleet manager can act on.
MASH, the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware, is the crash-test standard that decides whether a safety device is eligible for use. The 2016 edition replaced the older NCHRP 350. If you buy or run crash trucks, MASH sets the bar your equipment has to clear.
The parts that affect your fleet
- Test levels: TL-2 covers work zones at 45 mph and below; TL-3 is required at 50 mph and up and is crash-tested at roughly 62 mph.
- Eligibility Letters: every compliant unit carries an FHWA Hardware Eligibility Letter tied to its specific model.
- Mass and underride: the truck plus payload should reach roughly 26,000 lb GVWR to keep a striking vehicle from sliding under.
- Optional higher-speed testing to 70 mph exists for applications beyond standard highway speeds.
The deadline you cannot ignore
Older, non-MASH-2016 attenuators are being phased out. Units built before January 1, 2023 that do not meet MASH 2016 must be off the road by January 1, 2030. If any of your equipment predates the standard, that date is a hard stop, so factor it into your replacement planning now.
When you buy, ask for the Eligibility Letter for the exact attenuator model. It is the document agencies check, and it is model-specific.
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