How did he expect that to fit?

How did he expect that to fit?

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Discussion

Flibble

6,475 posts

181 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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craig_m67 said:
I never understood why they wouldn't just put in a height sensor and a traffic light far enough back to allow a safe stop. Would have to be cheaper than fixing the bridge all the time and or putting in armour plating.
They do sometimes, it doesn't work.

This is allegedly the most crashed into bridge in the country:


It has radar height sensors and automatic warning signs, as well as a crap load of very bright paint. Still gets crashed into all the time. The kicker is that the alternative route is adjacent to it (a level crossing).

MissChief

7,105 posts

168 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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The original picture is at Cameron Toll shopping centre in Edinburgh and really is a very low bridge. There's another in Edinburgh where they had to dig away at the roadway to allow double decker busses to fit under it.

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

224 months

selwonk

2,124 posts

225 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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That's crap. They could easily fit under there! ;-)

mini1380cc

2,944 posts

171 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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As already mentioned that is the Cameron Toll bridge which gets buses/trucks wedged under it on a regular basis.

Lowtimer

4,286 posts

168 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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So does the bridge at Ely in Cambridgeshire which is a very similar configuration - level crossing right alongside. Gets about one strike a week.

minky monkey

1,526 posts

166 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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We've got a van hire place around the corner of a very low bridge in Raynes Park. The amount of people over the years who hired a luton transit and then ripped the roof off of it at the bridge was amazing.

Over the years of running the recovery firm, we got quite adept at removing them in the end!

graham22

3,295 posts

205 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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I didn't read the BBC link but surely the arm on the excavator in the OP pic could be extended & lowered just for it to get under the bridge?

We used to have a problem on the A30 in Cornwall where the bridge was often hit, the official diversion Eastbound was 30/40 miles longer. It did have height sensors it was commonly known these were too low - I've personally seen lorries trigger the sensors but still get under the bridge albeit with inches to spare - particularly where the driver knew his exact height - my Dad's skip lorry was something like 13'9" but the bridge was 14'1" and he'd set the lights off but not hit the bridge (except the time there was a fridge in the scrap he was carrying which was higher than the sides - oops).

Because of these factors drivers ofen took the chance, many were OK, many weren't thus regularly blocking the main road into Cornwall.

One local haulier fitted smaller wheels to his lorries just so they could fit under the bridge.

sheepman

437 posts

160 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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probably following his pratnav without a care in the world.

Campo

10,835 posts

197 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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hora said:
Thin-diamond coated high tensile wire at neck/head level of a truck driver.


No truck driver would miss any signs then would they. Or simply a RSJ across at cab height just before. A better solution and it'd stop it over night.
There may just be a tiny flaw in this otherwise genius plan rofl

Muncher

12,219 posts

249 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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There's a couple of bridges on the A12 that have been hit a couple of times recently, do idea how as the bridges are very, very tall. One was so badly damaged that it needed major repair work, which lasted about 9 months, adding an hour a day onto my commute and cost a few million quid to fix, they never found out who caused the damage!

Bill

52,724 posts

255 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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hman said:
someone I know drove a high top van under the low bridge in thetford - I think the van was 2 weeks old, instantly wrote it off.
A friend if mine turned a high top Transit into a convertible in one if the Heathrow tunnels. biggrin

FussyFez

972 posts

176 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Once, when working for a local bus company, I had a double decker on a route that doesn't normally run deckers. I knew there was a low bridge on the route, and asked control about it, they said it's fine.

I can't remember the exact heights, but what I do remember, is that I had a whole inch of clearance. Not happy with the situation, I phoned control, and they confirmed that I should 'carry on'.

I asked all my top deck passengers to move to the lower deck, and proceeded and 0.01mph, with the suspension lowered, knowing the road surface is a little bumpy, I was cacking myself to say the least.

It did clear it, but it's still a moment in my driving history that I will never forget.

thecremeegg

1,964 posts

203 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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I think lorry & bus drivers are just a bit thick to be honest, there can't be any other explanation.

Riley Blue

20,952 posts

226 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Lowtimer said:
So does the bridge at Ely in Cambridgeshire which is a very similar configuration - level crossing right alongside. Gets about one strike a week.
I drove under it last week. It's 9' high (or low) but looks much lower. Here's one almost half the height:


Lowtimer

4,286 posts

168 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Blimey, where's that?! I'd struggle to get though that on a push bike!

chilistrucker

4,541 posts

151 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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thecremeegg said:
I think lorry & bus drivers are just a bit thick to be honest, there can't be any other explanation.
Sadly the ones that are hitting these bridges clearly are frown
Its not rocket science, if you don't the height of the load/trailer check it out before you leave.

Campo

10,835 posts

197 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28586702



Poor old Giraffe , perhaps it they gave them some goggles and had them facing forwards he could have ducked under the bridge frown

Lowtimer

4,286 posts

168 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
quotequote all
chilistrucker said:
Sadly the ones that are hitting these bridges clearly are frown
Its not rocket science, if you don't the height of the load/trailer check it out before you leave.
I am rather surprised in this day and age that you can't get height restrictions as a GPS app so that you just dial in the height of your loaded vehicle and it takes you routes which avoid height restrictions. Or maybe you can get these things, and people CBA using them.

troc

3,759 posts

175 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Driving a car onto the Channel Tunnel train, you go through a series of ever lowering and ever more solid barriers to remind you of the height restriction. it starts with a fairly high rubber dangly thing and ends as a rather solid steel bar. Even though I know my car clears the last one by loads, I still duck each time I drive under it......