Providing appropriate end treatments is one of the most important considerations in the design of guard fence. An untreated guard fence will stop a vehicle abruptly and can penetrate the passenger compartment.

Guard fence systems must be anchored at both ends to acceptable end treatments, buried terminals, wingwalls, concrete traffic barriers, etc., so that full tensile strength of the rail may be developed.

Approved end treatments have been developed and are recommended for the upstream and downstream end of a guard fence system. These approved end treatments shall be used unless the guard fence terminal is located on the downstream end with respect to adjacent traffic of the guard fence and outside the clear zone for opposing traffic (see ). In that case a Downstream Anchor Terminal (DAT) end treatment without offset is acceptable for use