Call For Drivers to Know HGV Heights

Are you an HGV driver who is aware of the height of their vehicles? Most people have a basic understanding of what their vehicle looks like and how it interacts with the world but in some cases, many don’t and it is becoming a major problem to try and deal with. A big railway company has recently drawn attention to the issue after it reported that there were 54 separate collisions with bridges along their network in 2023.

A Disturbing Number of Collisions

The railway in question is the East Midlands railway (EMR) and they have raised the point that roughly one bridge in the Mansfield area was struck once every 90 days or so, and that they were facing a major problem which was both recurring and significant for the local area.

A law firm, Backhouse Jones, has already warned the public that roughly 9 out of 10 collisions, specifically those collisions with rail infrastructure, are likely to result in both a driver conduct hearing but also a public enquiry, which should be reason enough for anyone to be careful. The EMR also recently showcased what it classed as a “top 10” for all of the bridges in the region which had been struck the most.

The most damaged bridge is considered to be the Debdale Lane bridge, located near the A6705. In the last ten years, it has been thought that the bridge has been hit nearly 40 times. After that, there was the Rothwell Road bridge in Kettering, which came second and the Matlock Road bridge located on the A615 in South Wingfield. This bridge came third.

Everytime there is a strike to a bridge, it can actually cost the average taxpayer £13000 to fix. It also creates delays in the network of trains in the area - there were 3325 minutes of delays in 2023 alone.

The Expert Opinion

Michael Webb is the EMR joint head of performance, and had the following to offer:

“Those responsible for causing a bridge strike may be liable for costs associated with the incident, including the inspection and repair of the bridge and the cost of train delays, which can be considerable.

We have shared the top ten most-hit bridges across our network to raise awareness but we are also urging drivers to fully understand the height of their vehicle and not take any unnecessary risks - especially if they are on roads they are not familiar with.”

It should be clear that trying to reduce the number of collisions is the main priority for the local area. Drivers need to be aware of exactly how high their vehicles are and only use routes which are considered to be safe. Driving in dangerous places will only result in more damage, delays, and risks to local transport companies in the area suffering from a lack of drivers and undamaged vehicles. It may be a necessary part of the process to overhaul some routes entirely to compensate for truck sizes.

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