Low Bridges.

[TWR]

How mant times have you come across a bus/ HGV hitting low bridges? apart from the driver, who's to blame & why?

[chas2008]

it can only be the driver not realising the height of his vehicle or ignoring the warning signs, i dont see how it can be anybody elses fault...I supose you could possibly blame it on a sat nav, but again the driver would have ignored the signs.

[rowanwitch]

can also be a problem if a route is incorrectly surveyed or in times of vehicle breakdown a different type bus is put out by an engineer although not assessed as safe for the route. Sometimes the margins are very fine and one double decker type will go through but another type won't... the ultimate responsibility is with the driver though

[SeaJayPea]

Fortunately it doesn't happen very often. Hit a railway bridge and the charges are colossal - something of the order of £90 for every minute the railway line is shut in some cases.

There has, by law, to be a sticker in the cab of any HGV that is taller than 10 ft (3.05m). If the vehicle is an artic pulling trailers of different heights it is the driver's responsibility to know the height and set the sticker in the cab to the correct one.

It could be argued that a company that doesn't supply these stickers is also at fault in the event of a bridge strike, but it is always down to the driver in the first instance.

The only way a driver could be found not guilty after hitting a bridge is if he can show that the height displayed on the signs was wrong. This has happened when a road has been resurfaced and not re-measured.

[nannybooby]

it used to happen regularly at south Ruislip railway station,at least once a month - dont know about now as I dont live near there anymore. Guess you have to be a right numpty to get stuck

[cazzz1975]

it depends on how clear the low bridge warning sign is, some can be hidden by tree's and bushes and some drivers may not be familiar with the roads.

thankfully it doesnt happen all that often nowadays.

[TWR]

My Moto used to be & very simple, STOP & check beforehand, too late when you've hit it.

[BAKERS DOZEN]

We have a low bridge nearby that was always being hit so they have now hung a large metal black and yellow striped pole about 5 yards from either side of the bridge so a driver would hit that, and hopefully stop, before hitting the bridge.

[mushroom25]

< thankfully it doesnt happen all that often nowadays. >

on average, there are around 5 bridge strikes a day serious enough to warrant stoppage of rail traffic, but very few of these attract the attention of the media.

[TWR]

Blackwall tunnel North bound had 4 0r 5 pipes hanging well before the entrance if you hit them you are too high, there was a slip off to the left that diverted you away from the tunnel.

[Andyvon]

We used to hire a 7.5 tonne lorry for courier work sometimes. The height was displayed inside the cab but there were one or two occasions when I just knew the lorry wouldn't go under the bridge - despite the sign on the bridge saying it would just fit. Once or twice I stopped just before the bridge, got out, looked at the lorry and the bridge - and decided not to chance it. It caused a bit of a mess when everyone had to move to let me to turn round but not as much of a mess as if I'd hit the bridge.

I remember those pipes TWR. They used to be inside the tunnel hanging down above the right hand lane. They got lower and lower as I nearly found out once when I was driving a Transit in the right-hand lane!

[Hopkirk]

Often it's a low loader with a digger or the like on the back.

It s harder for the driver to know the height than with a fixed height trailer.

[TWR]

It only takes 5 mins to check hop, experience drivers will know if it will go under.