Another bridge strike

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Big L
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by Big L »

rhyds wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 10:09
Big L wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 19:06 So many spelling and grammar errors for one short statement.
Because the most important part of HGV driving is speelling and grammer!
But it's quite important if your job includes writing press releases or social media posts, no?
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FleetlinePhil
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by FleetlinePhil »

FleetlinePhil wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:27 Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:27 (P16 of this thread)
...the Winchester school bus incident, it appears the bus was on completely the wrong road, for a reason as yet unclear. According to comments I've seen on another forum, Stagecoach do not operate under the bridge in question at all. Having gone wrong, then I would agree that it is very possible that under stress the driver momentarily lost focus on the kind of vehicle they were driving and did not appreciate the significance of the bridge height. There may be questions to be asked about the thoroughness of Stagecoach's route training for drivers, and perhaps the signage both at the bridge and in advance, but I doubt whether the human factor behind the driver's decision will ever become entirely clear.
The driver of the bus involved in this nasty incident has been jailed for three years. The BBC report makes for somewhat troubling reading in regards to his mental state - perhaps even his mental capacity to do the job.
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by Bendo »

FleetlinePhil wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 10:39
FleetlinePhil wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:27 Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:27 (P16 of this thread)
...the Winchester school bus incident, it appears the bus was on completely the wrong road, for a reason as yet unclear. According to comments I've seen on another forum, Stagecoach do not operate under the bridge in question at all. Having gone wrong, then I would agree that it is very possible that under stress the driver momentarily lost focus on the kind of vehicle they were driving and did not appreciate the significance of the bridge height. There may be questions to be asked about the thoroughness of Stagecoach's route training for drivers, and perhaps the signage both at the bridge and in advance, but I doubt whether the human factor behind the driver's decision will ever become entirely clear.
The driver of the bus involved in this nasty incident has been jailed for three years. The BBC report makes for somewhat troubling reading in regards to his mental state - perhaps even his mental capacity to do the job.
Yeah, seems a sad situation all round. I assume Stagecoach are being investigated or by the TC or facing a corporate charge here as by the sounds of it, he should never have been behind the wheel.

It's admiral giving people with learning difficulties opportunities, but there has to be a limit and if someone struggles knowing left and right, should they be in charge of a bus with 70+ kids on board?
JRN
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by JRN »

I took a look at that list of the top 20 most-struck bridges in the UK, provided by Network Rail; it was interesting.
Knowing that continental HGVs are typically up to 4m, and UK ones typically 4.2m, but can pull taller trailers, and double-decker busses are often 4.2-4.4m, I guess my prior would have been that the most frequently hit bridges might be, say, 3.8m or something.
Tall enough for it not to be immediately obvious to a bus or HGV driver that they are going to hit it, but low enough to take out any high vehicle.

But actually it was the complete opposite. There was a clear divide between "taller" and "lower" low bridges. Most were either 4m+ or <3m. Of the top 20, only 3 were between 3 and 4 metres high (and two of those were in London), and none of the top 10 were.
Some were surprisingly tall, particularly the no. 1 ranked bridge at Hinckley on the A5, which is 4.6m high.
Others were shockingly low, one just 2m.

In retrospect this kind of makes sense. The one on the A5 is tall enough to be on a well-used HGV route, most likely some of the drivers striking it have already passed it many times pulling a trailer of normal height, but forgot they were pulling (say) a 4.86m high trailer today.
Whereas the short bridges, some clearly on routes that would never be used by an HGV, are presumably mostly being hit by, say, someone that rented a Luton van and never thought about the height of it.

The other thing that surprised me was that most of the hit bridges were straight metal bridges, not brick arches. Of course maybe the former type is just more common, but still, there are plenty of brick arch bridges and I thought they'd be more frequently hit due to drivers not moving out to the centre of the road correctly.
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Re: Another bridge strike

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JRN
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by JRN »

DavidB wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 17:05 One today in Leeds:

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds ... y-21039473
Another "tall" low bridge hit. This one 4.7m high.
Runwell
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by Runwell »

Not sure if it's officially been established as a bridge strike, and an incident like this perhaps deserves its own thread? However the M25 (well, A282, technically) has been completely shut at Dartford, after piping sealed to the underside of the Watling Street bridge collapsed on to several vehicles passing under this afternoon. A frightening incident. Urgent structural investigation underway. As you can imagine, delays around there right now are simply catastrophic. I can't see anything that confirms whether it was dislodged by a bridge strike, or if it simply fell off of its own accord, which, if the latter, will be extremely worrying, and may lead to safety checks elsewhere on the network?
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Re: Another bridge strike

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Not really sure whether here or "numpty".
Travelling south on the B1098 when I got to Stonea crossing. The low bridge seemed tangled so I went over the level crossing .
According to Mrs1040 who had a clear view from the passenger window, a car with a roof box was attempting to pass under the bridges Northbound. I have no idea whether they were successful or had their roof box wrecked.
It's easy to forget a roof box, as a good friend knows. (Car park entry for her).
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Re: Another bridge strike

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It seems boats don't want to be left out of the fun...

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Chris Bertram
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by Chris Bertram »

rhyds wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 18:38 It seems boats don't want to be left out of the fun...

https://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/ ... ll-8188384
Boats will tend to wander off course and hit the bridge supports rather than the deck. Few river boats are tall enough to do that. However, a few years ago when we were starting a holiday in a narrowboat on the Middle Level Navigations, we turned up at the boatyard to be told that our boat was delayed because the TV aerial on top of the roof had struck a low bridge on the Twenty Foot River. This was unusual, as a more frequent issue over there is waterways being unnavigable due to low water levels in summer.
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by Vierwielen »

Chris Bertram wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 21:50
rhyds wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 18:38 It seems boats don't want to be left out of the fun...

https://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/ ... ll-8188384
Boats will tend to wander off course and hit the bridge supports rather than the deck. Few river boats are tall enough to do that. However, a few years ago when we were starting a holiday in a narrowboat on the Middle Level Navigations, we turned up at the boatyard to be told that our boat was delayed because the TV aerial on top of the roof had struck a low bridge on the Twenty Foot River. This was unusual, as a more frequent issue over there is waterways being unnavigable due to low water levels in summer.
A few months ago I was walking our dog on the Basingstoke Canal towpath when I saw a narrowboat trying to get under one of the bridges. I was maybe 2 millimetres too high. I offered my services, got onto the boat and sat in the bow. My weight was sufficient to push the boat 2 or 3 millimetres deeper into the water and they got their boat under the bridge.
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by M4 Cardiff »

The rail bridge on Warwick New Road in Leamington has been hit again, this time by a bus. Some injuries, nothing very bad though apparently. The photo in the article does not show the bus so its possible it hit the side rather than getting wedged under. I guess more information will follow.

https://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/new ... M-8ISH2B44
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Re: Another bridge strike

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Update, it was a double decker bus that hit the bridge, but must have been going very slowly, as the front of the top deck was only dinged a bit, not ripped off and the vehicle was reversed out. Previous reports of injuries were a bit overstated, very minor injuries treated at the scene, probably relating to stopping suddenly, or broken glass.
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the cheesecake man
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by the cheesecake man »

rhyds wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 18:38 It seems boats don't want to be left out of the fun...
With boats you've got the added complications that the height of the bridge is variable and the height of the boat is variable. For these reasons bridge heights are rarely signed. Fortunately the low speeds would reduce or prevent damage.

Back to roads. Do bridges high enough not to be signed as low get hit by very tall vehicles? I'm guessing it's rare as journeys of such loads would be planned very carefully by specialist hauliers.
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M4 Cardiff
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by M4 Cardiff »

the cheesecake man wrote: Sat Aug 07, 2021 12:01
rhyds wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 18:38 It seems boats don't want to be left out of the fun...
With boats you've got the added complications that the height of the bridge is variable and the height of the boat is variable. For these reasons bridge heights are rarely signed. Fortunately the low speeds would reduce or prevent damage.

Back to roads. Do bridges high enough not to be signed as low get hit by very tall vehicles? I'm guessing it's rare as journeys of such loads would be planned very carefully by specialist hauliers.
A well known bridge that often catches out day-boaters. Has a warning sign but no listed height, and a few scars on the stonework from previous bumps.

http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk/potterheig ... dgepan.jpg
Driving thrombosis caused this accident......a clot behind the wheel.
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Vierwielen
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by Vierwielen »

M4 Cardiff wrote: Sat Aug 07, 2021 14:25
the cheesecake man wrote: Sat Aug 07, 2021 12:01
rhyds wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 18:38 It seems boats don't want to be left out of the fun...
With boats you've got the added complications that the height of the bridge is variable and the height of the boat is variable. For these reasons bridge heights are rarely signed. Fortunately the low speeds would reduce or prevent damage.

Back to roads. Do bridges high enough not to be signed as low get hit by very tall vehicles? I'm guessing it's rare as journeys of such loads would be planned very carefully by specialist hauliers.
A well known bridge that often catches out day-boaters. Has a warning sign but no listed height, and a few scars on the stonework from previous bumps.

http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk/potterheig ... dgepan.jpg
If you look to the left of the photo, you will see a height warning which varies as the water height varies.
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by RichardA626 »

My Dad remembered damaging a TV aerial on a canal boat by forgetting to take it down when going through a low tunnel.
Beware of the trickster on the roof
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by linuxrocks »

Another at Sandwell & Dudley Station https://www.expressandstar.com/news/tra ... ay-bridge/
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by Simon_GNR »

linuxrocks wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 17:18 Another at Sandwell & Dudley Station https://www.expressandstar.com/news/tra ... ay-bridge/
Is the lorry driver likely to be prosecuted and lose his licence?
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Re: Another bridge strike

Post by B1040 »

According to the Cambridge News, Stagecoach have been testing software to alert bus drivers of the danger of bridge strikes.
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/c ... _like_this
I can see the importance of such software, but slightly mystified by the choice of Cambridge, where (as far as I know) apart from the bus way bridges at Trumpington and Hills Road, there aren't any bridges that trick bus drivers.
If I was testing this, I'd get a single decker in an area with several low bridges, programme the computer to think it's a double decker, and then drive around testing it under the low bridges.
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