The 24 Hours of Le Mans will see the European debut of SAFER barriers, with the steel and foam energy reduction system having been installed at the Porsche Curves ahead of this month’s French endurance classic.

Developed initially for high-speed ovals in the U.S., the barriers will supplement other safety systems, such as TechPro barriers that have been previously installed around the 8.5-mile circuit.

“It would have been easy to add a chicane, but the track would have lost its character,” ACO Sporting Director Vincent Beaumesnil told Autosport.

“After discussions with our federation in France [the FFSA], we were able to make the circuit safer and keep the original layout.”

The high-speed Porsche Curves section has seen a number of massive accidents recently, most notably Loic Duval’s shunt that forced the Audi driver out of the 2014 race.