over one another during an impact event may help to absorb energy energy from a side angle impact with the guardrail 1 is absorbed by the flexion and or deformation whether by elastic or plastic deformation of the rails 3 5 6 as well as by the tensile forces created in the cable s 15 15 a which may help the rails to resist flexion and or deformation preferably the impacting object is redirected away from the guardrail 1 and the forces generated by the impact are distributed throughout the rails 3 5 6 and cables 15 a 15 b either by deformation or tension generated in the cables 15 a 15 b and subsequently redirected to the cable fixing point 11 11 a preferably a number of support posts 7 a 7 g may be frangible or of a predetermined failure load which fail or substantially deform consequently absorbing further impact energy preferably an object such as a vehicle involved in a side angle impact is substantially redirected away from the guardrail 1 and back onto the road and the rail 3 5 6 is restrained from u201c gating u201d by the further tension created in the cables 15 a 15 b by the impacts induced lateral cable 15 a 15 b movement preferably the guardrail as described above may be utilised in applications where protective barriers are required to separate vehicle traffic flow from each other or safety to pedestrians from vehicles or even to protect vehicles running off roads it is desirable that the guardrail as described provides a non gating design and which re directs an errant vehicle from its correct path back onto a road or at least away from pedestrians on a footpath the guardrail as described goes at least some way.