Truck hits a bridge in Westwood, MA.

JCitron

Trainzing since 12-2003
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/nati...idge-in-Westwood-Massachusetts-322524622.html

The bridge gets hit at least once a month according to town officials. They have spent quite a bit of money, according to our local news channel with signs, warning lights, and even painting a bright yellow warning stripe on the bottom edge of the bridge. You think this would work? Nope!

The bridge is in fact pretty low at 10.5 (3.2 meters) instead of the more common 13.5 feet (4.1 meters).

The bridge wasn't hurt here and is still structurally sound - we can thank the Boston and Albany for the original construction way back when. The state is now looking into upgrading the bridge and surveyors are coming out next week. According to our local TV station the replacement is going to be in the millions. I suppose when the bridge was originally put in, the highest vehicle was probably a horse and buggy, or maybe a Model T.

John
 
People with a normal (basic?) drivers license never have to think of the height of a bridge because even an oversized car fits without any doubt. Those small trucks (at least in my country) up till a certain size also only require a normal drivers license, yet are a bit higher. This looks like one of those small trucks you can rent with just a drivers license (though the system might be different in your country).

I made a similar mistake (though less drastic outcome) when I rented a small truck when I moved from my apartment to my current house. I entered a narrow street, missing the pole of a road sign by just a few inches, till a harsh sound reminded me that the sign on top of the pole goes well over my regular car but the truck was a bit higher :hehe:. I had just a serious scratch, but the person in the video has some serious explaining to do.
 
We have similar laws here. Small rental trucks like this can be operated with a standard Class D driver's license without any additional training. If one needs to drive heavier equipment, then they move up to Class C and above. I do wonder if these people are actually tested when they get their licenses.

I've never made that error, but I have seen the results. I was out at an old Comfort Inn located in downtown Great Falls Montana. The hotel had an underground parking garage, however, the height was far lower than the normal SUVs we have today. I think the hotel dated back to the early 1970s and was never renovated because the rooms had brightly colored paint and other things that were definitely out of date. Back to the garage... There was a bar at the top warning drivers that the height was too low, however, the bar was quite dented in a rather amusing way. The dents were pushed upwards into the bar and there were all kinds of scrapes as various bigger SUVs were squeezed into the garage. The garage entrance too had lots of chipped off concrete and paint where vehicles got stuck. :)

I would hate to have that happen on my vacation! :hehe:

John
 
Hi everybody.
I have to say the driver in the video is guilty of nothing short of gross negligence. Here in the UK the height of all commercial vehicles over approximately 7 feet (2.13 meters) is normally written on the dashboard in large text. The police and licensing authorities (in the case of heavy goods vehicle drivers) normally deal harshly with those responsible for such accidents as in the video. The charges can be that of “driving without due care and attention” and in the case of someone travelling behind the vehicle incurring injury, the charge can be “reckless driving”.

All the above stated, although I have no sympathy for the drivers of rigid vehicle, but like many others I do have much sympathy for the drivers of heavy articulated vehicles being involved in height accidents with their vehicles. In the UK and throughout Europe with our just-in-time delivery systems (JIT) a driver of a heavy goods articulated vehicle can during the course of a working shift couple up to and run with as many as to three or four various trailers with each being a different height.

The height of each individual trailer is normally marked close to the coupling connections for driver/shunter information. However, the height given is when the trailer is parked uncoupled on its landing legs which can very much change on coupling to an articulated power unit. During the coupling process the trailer rides upwards onto the fifth wheel coupling which can increase the overall height by as much as 1 to 2 feet (0.35-0.70 meters) the variation being the height of the previous power unit it was uncoupled from. Therefore, an articulated heavy goods vehicle driver all too often will not know accurately the real height of the vehicle he is driving.

Height accidents with regard to heavy goods trailers colliding with Railway bridges has very much been an increasing factor in Britain and throughout Europe in the last few years especially with the development of what is known as “double deck” trailers. Specialised satellite navigation systems developed for such vehicles has helped in keeping high vehicles travelling along set routes that will avoid low bridges etc. However, schedules can often change mid shift, and not all the thousands low bridges are recorded on such satellite systems, and a combination of the foregoing two all too often leads to disaster.

With all the above in mind, I do remember attending a conference called by the UK Traffic Commissioners in conjunction with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) approximately two years ago. During the course of the conference various solutions were put forward by vehicle manufacturers, many included the use of low powered lasers facing forward on the top of trailers, which when tried in everyday use only seemed to continuously warn against “overhanging leafs” etc and have since been abandoned.

Therefore, if any forum member feel that they have the solution to the above problem at hand, I am sure a very large fortune awaits them here in Britain and throughout Europe. :D

Bill
 
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Bill,

The drivers of these trucks are usually sited for careless driving and sadly we pay for the damage through our higher insurance rates as the insurance companies step in to assist with the repair costs.

If they are standard Class D drivers, or regular driver's license holders they will also get points added to their license that will increase their insurance cost and become an adverse addition to their driver's record. If they incur too many points in the course of a year, called stepping points here, they will have to attend a mandatory driver's reeducation course lest they lose their license.

The sad part is we will of course pay more through our tax money as well since the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, or MBTA picks up the tab for the rebuilding of the bridge. The surveyor work is being done next week.

John
 
Another truck hit the same bridge! This time the driver thought he could squeeze through and dented the top of his truck. Like all the others he will be sited for careless driving.

John
 
I was thinking, maybe these are like those computer cars in Trainz and can drive through everything.
 
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