A series of recent bridge strikes in the UK seem to show that messages repeatedly sent in awareness campaigns are not getting through to some drivers and operators.
According to recent figures published by Network Rail, there has actually been an 11% decrease in bridge crashes compared to the previous year. However, the spate of recent bridge strikes suggests the problem is far from over.
Network Rail say that almost six out of ten (59%) incidents are caused by HGV drivers. 43% of lorry drivers fail to confirm the size of their vehicle, while 52% of operators fail to take low bridges into account when planning routes.
What bridge strikes have occurred recently?
On November 10th, a Renault lorry got stuck under the bridge in Aintree Village. Then, On 2nd December, a bridge was struck in Cradley Heath by an HGV. A day later, an Eddie Stobart truck struck a bridge in Barrow. A similar accident occurred in Sheffield on December 6th, which can be seen in the video below. On the same day, a lorry also hit a bridge in Bristol.
What is being done to prevent further bridge strikes?
Network Rail says it is trying to combat bridge strikes ahead of the annual spike in incidents coinciding with the Christmas period, when more large vehicles are expected on Britain’s roads.
To do so, it is placing adverts at motorway service stations across the country that use slogans such as “Wise Up, Size Up” and “Lorries Can’t Limbo”. Network Rail argues that drivers should know their vehicle height before they start their journey, and check their route for low bridges accordingly.
Photo credit @ Network Rails
Network Rail’s campaign is supported by the Road Haulage Association, the Freight Transport Association and operators including Eddie Stobart Logistics, Wincanton and Asda. In addition, Tesco launched training for its drivers in 2018 to educate them on the impact of bridge strikes.
By reminding our drivers of the correct behaviours to follow at multiple times during their shift, though branded posters and reusable coffee cups, air fresheners, key rings and vinyl stickers for their cabs, we hope to keep them ‘bridge aware’ at all points of their journey,” said Dave Pickering, COO at Eddie Stobart to the Transport Engineer journal when the training was launched.
How can bridge strikes be avoided?
Operators often blame drivers for the bridge strikes, while the drivers say it’s the operator’s fault for providing poor route planning.
Network Rail has thus provided a guide for both drivers and operators on how to avoid bridge strikes. The key points from that are as follows:
On the driver’s side:
- Assess the risks and ensure that routes are planned in advance, so far as is reasonably practicable
- Ensure that drivers, transport managers and planners are properly trained to enable them to assess the risks
- Ensure that drivers are be provided with adequate information including about the vehicles which they are driving.
On the operator’s side:
- ensure that drivers have access to height conversion charts
- ensure that sites have height measurement gauges
- ensure that each vehicle and trailer in the fleet has an established running height on its technical record
- ensure that running heights are available to anyone planning a route including drivers who encounter unexpected or unmapped obstructions, such as temporary works
What bridges in Britain are struck most often?
The most struck bridge is in Hinckley, Leicestershire – the 15ft high (452 cm) structure has been bashed 25 times in a year, causing delays for rail passengers and forcing lorry traffic through the town. In February 2020, the motorway A5 was closed for almost three hours during rush hour after a lorry got wedged under this bridge.
The Bromford Road railway bridge in Dudley, West Midlands has been hit 24 times in a year – almost once a fortnight. However, a local daily reported a week when four lorries got stuck under the bridge.
The rail bridge in Lichfield, Staffordshire even has its own Twitter profile asking lorry drivers to check their vehicle’s height BEFORE approaching it.
Apprently Ive been hit again. Does anyone have any photos please? https://t.co/xoDQ7UrV0N
— LichfieldBridge 🛤🌉🚛 (@LichfieldBridge) December 1, 2020
According to Network Rail, the following 20 bridges are the ones struck by lorries the most often:
- Watling Street Hinckley, Leicestershire 25 strikes
- Bromford Road Dudley, West Midlands 24 strikes
- St John’s Street Lichfield, Staffordshire 23 strikes
- Stuntney Road Ely, Cambridgeshire 19 strikes
- Abbey Farm Thetford, Norfolk 16 strikes
- Thurlow Park Road Tulse Hill, London 14 strikes
- Carlisle Road Cleland, North Lanarkshire 13 strikes
- Harlaxton Road Grantham, Lincolnshire 13 strikes
- Stonea Road Stonea, Cambridgeshire 13 strikes
- Coddenham Road Needham Market, Suffolk 11 strikes
- Lower Downs Road Wimbledon, London 11 strikes
- Warminster Road Wilton, Wiltshire 10 strikes
- Prescott Street Wigan, Greater Manchester 10 strikes
- Greenhills Road Paisley, Renfrewshire 9 strikes
- Newhouse Road South Ruislip, London 9 strikes
- Kenworthy Road Homerton, London 9 strikes
- St John’s Road Isleworth, London 9 strikes
- Jews Lane Twerton, Somerset 9 strikes
- Barrowby Road Grantham, Lincolnshire 8 strikes
- Cambridge Road Hitchin, Hertfordshire 8 strikes
Meanwhile, the Fleet Operators Recognition Scheme director has urged operators and drivers to be alert to the threat of bridge strikes. John Hix said last month that the more education that is given to drivers, the better.
“It is important to remember that unlike some complex safety challenges faced by road transport operators, bridge strikes are almost entirely avoidable, yet they cause significant damage and huge safety concerns. The more we can do to educate drivers about the dangers of bridge strikes and how to avoid these, the better.”
Photo credit: Rosemary Oakeshott / Wikimedia Commons