Bridge strikes continue to be a significant problem to rail and highway/road authorities across the country. Between April 2011 and March 2012, there were more than 1500 bridge strikes at railway bridges over roads reported to Rail Authorities. A survey in 2011 indicated that drivers believed causes of bridge strikes include:
• Drivers not knowing vehicle height (32%)
• Poor route planning (22%)
• Drivers not understanding signs (15%)
• Poor information about low bridges when planning a route (11%)
• Inadequate signing (9%)
• Drivers not believing signs (8%)
Bridge strikes continue to be a significant problem to rail and highway/road authorities across the country. Between April 2011 and March 2012, there were more than 1500 bridge strikes at railway bridges over roads reported to Rail Authorities. A survey in 2011 indicated that drivers believed causes of bridge strikes include:
• Drivers not knowing vehicle height (32%)
• Poor route planning (22%)
• Drivers not understanding signs (15%)
• Poor information about low bridges when planning a route (11%)
• Inadequate signing (9%)
• Drivers not believing signs (8%)
Would help if it was mandatory (i.e MOT requirement) on all trailers used on UK roads if the standard height of the trailer was marked in feet and inches not bloody metric!! All UK road signs have to be in imperial (metric an option). I have seen no in cab height indicator fitted in a truck I have driven that was marked in metric.
If the trailer goes abroad should be marked in metric too.
Had a ■■■■ up yesterday. I put the wrong height into said sat nav 13ft 6" instead of the 4.3m which was the height of the trailer. Got diverted and came to a 4.2m bridge with no turn around option!
Bridge had the dangly chains. Crawled under at tortoise speed initially but apart from rattling the chain boards. No problem! Rule to self Make sure I change the sat nav height indicator too! doh…
The Blackwall Tunnel Northbound is signed at 13’. Many years ago I was driving an 18 tonner that had 13’ height advice in the cab. If you’re a squidge over, the lights flash and woe betide you if you carry on. I drove through with fingers crossed and there wasn’t a problem.
Also, in Lymm where I grew up there is Barsbank underbridge which is signed 8’ 9", yet single decker buses, which I thought were 9’, still use it every day.
The bridge on the A41 at Blackthorne, south of Bicester used to be 14’ 9" (or some lower than the 15’ bridge coming out of Aylesbury, on A41) and they had a very expensive and hi tech, for the time, height detector as you aproached. then they dug the road out at Blackthorne to match the 15’ at Aylesbury.
so a proposal, to have; for example, height detectors /measuring equipment at, say, the “Works Unit Only” exits on motorways.
If people keep successively adding a couple of inches to be “on the safe side”, then you’ll never know for sure.
I showed a driver my route away from my last shop today showing all the traffic I was in. I then found out everyone turns the other way to get back and goes under a 13ft bridge. I had no idea that was an alternative route as my sat nav has always sent me the other way because I have it set at 13’ 2" as per twiddly height marker. Our trucks are 12ft 3/4" high but our adjustable markers are at 13’ 2. Oh well I know now.
When I was bus driving someone took a bus under a bridge that was the exact same height as the bridge because he was given the wrong bus.
Four question marks? If it were only two I would have assumed you were referring to the sleep-state of a certain Master of Disaster, Ace of Analysis, TN CSI Forensics Specialist par excellence, who so thoroughly and regularly regales us with The Last Word for every situation, especially in respect of bridge strike matters, the one whose TN-handle suggests he “bodily transports things at a rapid pace”
I think he’s busy analysing electrical schematics of container ships in order to rule out any “accidents” at which point it will be “Conspiracy theories off the starboard bow cap’n!”
There was me thinking that taking a cab under ANY 13’ bridge - was instant dismissal, seeing as there are so many cabs of that height, or very close to it…
Blackwall Tunnel (used to be 13’4’’ now 13’?) - is now “Fined if broken down in tunnel” when it used to be “run out of fuel in tunnel”.
I guess loads of people run the lie that "Oh, I’ve broken down, empty carburetta… Can’t fine me guy, I’m ethicolour, and this is Khaaan’s London you racist scum…"
hmm i make it 3.96 just be carefull that 13’ bridge could be 13’3" the next one might not be. Dont do what someone did at xpo change unit and didnt change his sat nav. queue a flat pack trailer
Don’t transport offices insist on you having 4" clear, or take another route these days?
A 13’ tractor would not be sent anywhere that had less than a 13’4" headroom then, including the Blackwall Tunnel…
I remember back in the 90’s taking silver metallic trailers through Blackwall Tunnel practically every day with 13’ overall running heights, where you just stayed out of the RH lane, or you’d hit those dangly drainpipe things…
