English

Noun

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with catch fence in foreground.

A catch fence in England, protecting a road against rockfall.

catch fence ‎(plural catch fences)

1. A fence designed to catch falling or flying debris, or otherwise absorb its impact
   • 1999, Tarik el-Bashir, The New York Times Safety Is at Issue As 3 Spectators Die at Car Race

     In 1997, Lowe's Motor Speedway improved its catch fence by adding height and cable along walls down the front straightaway, which is often the stands' most crowded section. After last year's accident at Michigan, Lowe's increased the height of its fence and the overhang, bringing the total height to 17 feet. The spectators involved Saturday were sitting just past the exit of the fourth turn, not on the straightaway.

   • 2009, Marty Smith, ESPN Talladega frontstretch fence 22 feet high

     As a safety precaution to protect fans and competitors, Talladega Superspeedway extended the height of its frontstretch catch fence by eight feet, president Rick Humphrey told ESPN.com Monday.

   • 2011 John Marshall, Associated Press Indy 500 winner Wheldon dies after massive wreck

     Video replays showed Wheldon's car turning over as it went airborne and sailed into what's called the catch fence, which sits over a barrier that's designed to give a bit when cars make contact.

   • 2011 Maccaferri Rockfall Catch Fences Protect Vulnerable Northern Ireland Infrastructure

     According to Dr David Cheer, Rockfall Mitigation specialist for Maccaferri, catch fence design is now a sophisticated, high tech process with the development of ever-more efficient systems, capable of absorbing huge amounts of kinetic energy possessed by falling debris.

Related terms

• crash barrier
• ringfence
• safety net