CenBridge has recently completed a successful trial with Bus Link, a Staffordshire based bus operator, where it demonstrated its ability to provide real-time alerts to drivers approaching low bridges.
According to Network Rail the aftermath of a bridge strike costs £13,000 per bridge – or £23 million over the course of a year. It is believed that over 90 percent of bridge strikes occur at railway bridges.
In recent years, both Network Rail and the Office of the Traffic Commissioner have taken a stricter stance on operators whose vehicles have been involved in bridge strikes by intensifying efforts to hold them accountable for failing to prevent such incidents.
Such is the severity of bridge strikes, and the seriousness of their potential consequences, that in 2018, Network Rail launched its ‘Wise Up, Size Up’ campaign, which was introduced to remind drivers to check their vehicle and plan their route to avoid low bridges prior to setting off.
Last year, the UK’s Senior Traffic Commissioner also reminded operators of large vehicles in an open letter of their duty to operate without posing unacceptable risks to road safety, highlighting the severe consequences and avoidable costs associated with bridge strikes.
Typically, bridge strikes occur due to drivers being unaware of their vehicle’s height, issues with reading the relevant signage or insufficient route planning and relying on satnavs which aren’t suitable for commercial vehicles. Commissioners actually stress that even having suitable satnav equipment isn’t a substitute for effective route planning.
If found responsible for a bridge strike, both operators and driver can face severe punishments ranging from fines and penalties to the suspension or revocation of licenses.