Banned for crossing bridge in a storm
Banned for crossing bridge in a storm
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matchmaker

Original Poster:

9,058 posts

230 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-ea...

BBC said:
A delivery driver who was filmed attempting to drive his van across the Forth Road Bridge during a storm has been banned from the roads.

David Stanley ignored signs warning not to use the bridge when it was being buffeted by 90mph winds last December.

He was found guilty of dangerous driving after a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
A bit harsh, I would have thought. He was stupid, but was unfamiliar with the area. PH views?

ikarl

4,062 posts

229 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Being unfamiliar with the area is no excuse, there were miles of overhead warning signs he ignored.

He was lucky he was on the inside lane and the barrier held the vehicle upright for a while, had he been overtaking someone he could easily have toppled onto another car and seriously injured/killed someone.

Extreme stupidity


ETA - just done a quick google search and it appears he ignored 18 flashing signs and queues of other vehicles that could not cross the bridge.

trashbat

6,310 posts

183 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
man said:
nobody stopped us or anything to tell us it was closed like what they would do in London
other man said:
We just followed the route the sat nav was showing us
Am I supposed to have sympathy? smile

greygoose

9,665 posts

225 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
His stupidity lead to the bridge being shut for two hours for repairs, he deserves a ban for inconveniencing everyone else.

jamieduff1981

8,092 posts

170 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
trashbat said:
man said:
nobody stopped us or anything to tell us it was closed like what they would do in London
other man said:
We just followed the route the sat nav was showing us
Am I supposed to have sympathy? smile
Apart from the large number of flashing overhead signs written in very concise and plain English, he means...

I can only assume he either can't read or thought he'd ignore everything until he reached a physical barrier.


TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

156 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Not only banned, but an extended test before he can have his licence back - and 100hrs of community service. Good. Monumental idiot.

Have a watch of the CCTV vid. The first camera shows every other vehicle staying WELL back from him. They were the "competent and careful" drivers in whose view his driving fell "far below" the minimum acceptable standard. That's the legal definition of dangerous driving.

Mind you, it did make me chuckle when the van dropped back onto the wheels, allowing them to get out - and they promptly went and hid behind it for shelter...

The BBC said:
"We seen a lay by but it was already full up with other lorries...

His passenger, Mr Fitzsimmons, said: "If I had been driving I would have tried to stop but there was nowhere for us to stop. When we got on to the bridge I was panicky and concerned for my safety."

Sy1441

1,283 posts

190 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Driving up form Bradford to Glasgow earlier in the year it was a particularly windy day and there were signs up saying the road was closed to high sided vehicles. Still see quite a few of them and they were getting blown across lanes. About 10 miles after the last warnings there was a artic on its side strewn across the carriageway on a fairly blind corner. We narrowly avoided it. Its putting other road users lives at risk so should be punished appropriately.

Calza

2,068 posts

145 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Couldn't agree more with this. The potential cost in life & money would be huge from this.

Idiot!

feef

5,209 posts

213 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
When it's shut it's well signposted. I've even seen it stated on the matrix signs on the M74 at the border, how he could say he didn't know, I have no idea. Also his statement of, effectively, "the sat nav told me to do it" is a stupid and weak argument at best.

I also see it around Cambridge when folk drive into the rising bollards claiming they didn't know or the signs weren't visible enough. What, no entry signs, warnings and flashing LED signs aren't visible enough? Folk just don't look nor think and then try and blame something or someone else for their own stupidity.


FeelingLucky

1,186 posts

194 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
matchmaker said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-ea...

BBC said:
A delivery driver who was filmed attempting to drive his van across the Forth Road Bridge during a storm has been banned from the roads.

David Stanley ignored signs warning not to use the bridge when it was being buffeted by 90mph winds last December.

He was found guilty of dangerous driving after a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
A bit harsh, I would have thought. He was stupid, but was unfamiliar with the area. PH views?
He got off lightly, the possible consequences of his actions don't bear thinking about, he was lucky not to get custodial.

SiH

1,858 posts

277 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
People can be very blind sometimes. Perhaps they need this at the entry to the bridge?! (Though on second thoughts if it's closed for wind the water may end up being sprayed everywhere!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv0bCPepg7M

Halmyre

12,613 posts

169 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
FeelingLucky said:
matchmaker said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-ea...

BBC said:
A delivery driver who was filmed attempting to drive his van across the Forth Road Bridge during a storm has been banned from the roads.

David Stanley ignored signs warning not to use the bridge when it was being buffeted by 90mph winds last December.

He was found guilty of dangerous driving after a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
A bit harsh, I would have thought. He was stupid, but was unfamiliar with the area. PH views?
He got off lightly, the possible consequences of his actions don't bear thinking about, he was lucky not to get custodial.
Or death, although he was probably not in danger of getting blown completely over the side.

Scousefella

2,243 posts

211 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
As a HGV driver I can only agree with the ruling. This idiot has thrown caution to the wind (sorry) and has been hit hard by the authorities.


mikal83

5,340 posts

282 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
On a similar thread, in the bad weather earlier this year, a driving warning was issued on the radio and telly re the Tamar bridge. They said that caution should be showed when driving across for high sided vehicles and although wasnt closed, extreme caution should be shown. I called up the bridge authority and asked what a high sided was.....they couldnt answer....A van? A transit, a bus???

Not much help.

anonymous-user

84 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Punishment probably wouldn't have been as harsh if he'd just held his hands up and put in a guilty plea, been contrite, etc. Wonder if he took any legal advice.

Swanny87

1,265 posts

149 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
mikal83 said:
On a similar thread, in the bad weather earlier this year, a driving warning was issued on the radio and telly re the Tamar bridge. They said that caution should be showed when driving across for high sided vehicles and although wasnt closed, extreme caution should be shown. I called up the bridge authority and asked what a high sided was.....they couldnt answer....A van? A transit, a bus???

Not much help.
I don't think it's hard for people to work out. A quick brainstorm would suggest any vehicle where the centre of gravity plus surface area of the side panels plus the force of the wind would equal it on it's side (I'm sure the exact physics are wildly different). However, maybe not a transit connect...

mikal83

5,340 posts

282 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Swanny87 said:
I don't think it's hard for people to work out. A quick brainstorm would suggest any vehicle where the centre of gravity plus surface area of the side panels plus the force of the wind would equal it on it's side (I'm sure the exact physics are wildly different). However, maybe not a transit connect...
WTF

Dalmahoy

219 posts

168 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
Also - where the van almost went over the side - there's houses almost directly below.

PositronicRay

29,016 posts

213 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
mikal83 said:
Swanny87 said:
I don't think it's hard for people to work out. A quick brainstorm would suggest any vehicle where the centre of gravity plus surface area of the side panels plus the force of the wind would equal it on it's side (I'm sure the exact physics are wildly different). However, maybe not a transit connect...
WTF
This is the exact equation used a+b+c=d. Well done that man.

divetheworld

2,565 posts

165 months

Tuesday 21st October 2014
quotequote all
1. If the van had fell on someone it could have killed them.
2. The bridge looks like it was closed off because of him inconveniencing thousands.
3. Emergency services had to be called to get the van off the bridge safely risking others.

I'd throw the book at him.