The Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) has issued a statement aimed at all transport operators reminding them of the severity of bridge strikes – and stressing that improved safety measures must be implemented.
Referring to the ‘disappointing’ number of bridge strikes which have occurred over the past year, the OTC asked operators to ‘treat the issue seriously and take responsibility.’
It then went on to list some of the common causes of bridge strikes:
- Drivers taking short cuts whilst engaged on ‘not in service’ journeys;
- Staff with insufficient route knowledge returning a vehicle to depot;
- Drivers taking a double deck vehicle on a single deck route; and
- Misunderstanding of road signs.
- To reduce the risk of such an accident occurring, the OTC advised operators to:
- Make sure drivers know their vehicle height and width;
- Check that drivers know their route in and out of service;
- Ensure they understand and obey traffic signs;
- Carry out adequate risk-based assessments; and
- Provide drivers with route conversion charts.
If precautionary measures like the above aren’t implemented, the OTC warned that operators could face regulatory action.
