According to Network Rail, in 2023/24, more than 1,532 bridges were struck by heavy goods vehicles and buses across the UK – the equivalent of one every six hours. Of these, 40 to 50 are caused annually by buses; the rest by HGVs/LGVs. These bridge strikes caused cancellations for rail passengers, and over 100 days (150,000 minutes) of delays for rail and road users. The cost of repairs following bridge strikes exceeds £20 million each year.

It is clear that, as an industry, this is an issue that we must tackle.

It will be largely up to transport Operators to bring down the numbers of bridge strikes in the next few years. Relevant training for drivers and managers will help, as will appropriate vehicle height related products.

Operators should be following these control measures:

• 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 provided with adequate information about the vehicles which they are driving.

In providing information that allows anyone planning or altering a route, Operators should consider how to:

• 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.

Drivers are expected to drive a variety of vehicles, some of which may be significantly taller than they are used to. Vehicles such as cement mixers are much higher at the back than at the front, while flatbed vehicles may be loaded with a variety of items with differing heights. Drivers must be fully aware of the height of their vehicle – or the vehicle plus its load – at its highest point.

It is essential therefore, that the driver is fully aware of the running height of each vehicle, before taking it out on the road.

Here are a few questions to consider before sending the driver out on a journey:

• Have you, the Operator, accurately established the running height of that vehicle? Is that height recorded anywhere in your system?
• Do you, as an Operator, have at least one height measurement device?
• Has the driver received ANY training regarding “bridge strikes”?
• Has their manager/ supervisor received any training?
• Has ANY thought been given regarding the likely routes the vehicle will travel on this journey?

There are ways in which Operators can help tackle the problem of bridge strikes. Please make sure that you:

• Know, and brief each driver on, the height of every vehicle
• Have, and use, a height staff
• Ensure each vehicle with a height over 3m has an in-cab Vehicle Height Indicator
• Use a conversion chart, or an online means of converting measurements from metric to imperial and vice versa.
• Train your drivers by means of
• Driver CPC – Actions After an Accident or Breakdown (incl. Bridge Strikes) course
• Driver CPC – Driving Standards and Road Safety
• Train your managers by means of
• Transport Manager CPC Refresher course
• OLAT (Operator Licence Awareness Training) course

Together, we can reduce the frequency of bridge strikes.

www.novadata.co.uk