alt Hacker NewsHah, I guess this is the same then as in formula 1 (and possibly other motorsports). After the end of a straight (speeding) section, just before the curve they have 150/100/50 (m?) distance indicators. Sans the concrete block at the top. That would obviously shave the driver's head off.
When a driver hits these, they evaporate as dust.
It's not quite the same thing - the EMAS is the overrun surface itself, rather than the signs warning of it. However you are quite close to the money on another aspect of airfield design.
Lots of obstructions near the runway - signs, lights, aerial masts, meteorological equipment, fences - are supposed to be "frangible" [1]. They must break into pieces less likely to cause damage to an aircraft in a high-energy collision. There's a heck of a lot of GFRP used in lieu of metal around an airfield.
1. ICAO Doc 9157, particularly part 6.