Leicestershire Road Policing Unit (RPU)
If you’re HGV trailer is 4.7 metres high DO NOT try and fit under a 4.6 metre bridge…the consequences of this causes massive disruption and will cost your company a lot of money. Driver reported for driving without due care & attention.
Really for the life of me can’t understand why this keeps happening. Only thing I can think is drivers are picking up trailers and assuming that whatever the height set in the cab is correct without checking it.
I was 10 minutes late getting home… usually <5 mins drive from work to home, hope the idiot looses his entitlement ffs
This was the 4.3m bridge coming into Lymington yesterday. Clearly signed in both directions, so really can’t understand why it keeps happening.
^^^^ probably the frilly curtains got in the way 
Not excusing it but if you are agency or jumping in and out of different trucks day to day the is a chance you can forget. I’ve done some work for a company for six years. Same work when ever I go back there. This year they replaced their curtain sider with a taller one. 4am start, heading to a normal delivery I went the normal way via Grantham. Luckily I realised before taking it under one of those low bridges.
Not placing the blame at agency but it is a theory.
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feel sure that warning signs were bigger/bolder/more obvious years back? im thinking they were after recently reading about a rash of folk driving wrong way down motorways. im certain that in the 80s if you tried to drive down an off slip there were BIG warning signs either side of the road a little way down ,not right at the top like now the signs are smaller now
Someone needs…
To interview each driver after they’ve twonked which ever bridge it is and get a definitive reason as to why they did it (and then ban them from HGVs for 4 years or something). There has to be some co-ordinated approach to find a solution to this problem.
In cab height indicators, black and yellow paint, low bridge ahead signs and flashing lights with the words ‘turn around you moron’ clearly don’t work.
And i wouldn’t be suprised if the Youngs truck is from there depot in southampton…
[emoji1782][emoji1782][emoji1782]
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Minimum on the spot would have been 3 points and £100 fine.
But most, if not all of these types of incident go through the courts. Most recently, from memory, there was a £1500 fine and 9 points handed out, a lot of that could be down to attitude in court, but in all honesty, that should be the minimum.
There is simply no excuse for it, as Network Rail recently advertised… Wise Up, SIZE UP!
When this happens, my opinion is straight to the traffic commissioner for an interview without tea and biscuits, leading to loss of vocational licence.
Or enable the police to be able to revoke the licence.
It’s happening far too often for a profession where most of us view ourselves as professional drivers.
yourhavingalarf:
Someone needs…To interview each driver after they’ve twonked which ever bridge it is and get a definitive reason as to why they did it (and then ban them from HGVs for 4 years or something). There has to be some co-ordinated approach to find a solution to this problem.
In cab height indicators, black and yellow paint, low bridge ahead signs and flashing lights with the words ‘turn around you moron’ clearly don’t work.
Is this useful?
assets.publishing.service.gov.u … nagers.pdf
6 years old but,
“• 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%)”
When it says “drivers not knowing vehicle height” maybe it is the driver guessing/assuming the trailer is the same as others on the fleet when its not, or not even thinking about it, or misreading a marker plate or ■■? Sure I dont know.
We run with various heights on the same trailers, as we pull flat beds. Never had a bridge strike on the firm.
If you try and route yourself as if you’re 4.8 everywhere you go, no matter who you’re driving for you tend to approach anything lower with a bit more thought!
I doubt many people know their routes in advance unless it’s an area they’ve run before… transport managers and companies aren’t very helpful. Look at signs, follow the black lorries, routes for high vehicles and look after yourself!
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Having seen loads of bridge strike photos on here, i have never seen one where the unit chassis is twisted like the youngs one. Admittedly i have only been driving artics since july, with all different height trailers, and with planning Routes my way i have managed to avoid this situation
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bristolrob:
Having seen loads of bridge strike photos on here, i have never seen one where the unit chassis is twisted like the youngs one. Admittedly i have only been driving artics since july, with all different height trailers, and with planning Routes my way i have managed to avoid this situation
Physics 101 my friend…it’s because the bridge is not straight across the road, it’s at an angle, consequently the front offside corner of the trailer has hit the bridge first lifting that corner of the trailer first, along with the unit
corij:
feel sure that warning signs were bigger/bolder/more obvious years back? im thinking they were after recently reading about a rash of folk driving wrong way down motorways. im certain that in the 80s if you tried to drive down an off slip there were BIG warning signs either side of the road a little way down ,not right at the top like now the signs are smaller now
Stop trying to make excuses for complete incompetence. 
RIPPER:
Physics 101 my friend…it’s because the bridge is not straight across the road, it’s at an angle, consequently the front offside corner of the trailer has hit the bridge first lifting that corner of the trailer first, along with the unit
Ah i understand that now. I bet coming to a stop that fast caused his whole body to ache, then a ear ache from the call to his boss 
The driver in the OP gets reported for a DC offence, surely a new code for a bridge strike might help a little. I know lots of companies are obviously hot for dangerous driving and drink driving codes but some are less fussed by due care, a bridge strike should rule the muppets out of any future job, if it doesn’t then the potential employer deserves the possible consequences of employing such talent…
