Another truck gets stuck under train overpass
The Guy Street train underpass has a big sign warning of its low height, but nonetheless a trucker wedged an 18-wheeler under the bridge Thursday morning. This happens every now and then although this item says CP won’t say how often.
I haven’t checked but it seems to me that by the time a driver gets to the sign, there’s nowhere else for them to go. I don’t know what else we can do, though.
Update: I see that, in a pinch, they might be able to turn along the nameless road beside the tracks, but that would be a tight turn for a big rig.
Danny 16:26 on 2019-05-30 Permalink
There’s a railroad trestle in Durham, North Carolina that’s 5 or 6 inches shorter than this, and has trucks ignoring multiple warning lights and running into it all the time. So much so, that a guy with an office overlooking the bridge has set up a camera, and the videos end up on 11foot8.com. So far, he has documented 146 crashes since 2008. There’s no fixing distracted or stupid driving.
Blork 17:41 on 2019-05-30 Permalink
One thing they can do is dangle a plank on some chains about 20 metres before the underpass; the plank is the same height as the trestle (maybe a few inches lower even). If a truck hits the plank, they will know they won’t fit under the trestle. (And because the plank is dangling on chains, there is no damage, so this is reusable and cheap.)
There I fixed it.
P.O. 18:04 on 2019-05-30 Permalink
There’s a tunnel somewhere that detects trucks that are too tall, then activates a waterfall/water curtain illuminated with a giant STOP at the entrance of the tunnel.
https://youtu.be/DaKgXToCm4Y
Ephraim 20:43 on 2019-05-30 Permalink
Why is there no low hanging sign that they would hit FIRST?
Kevin 22:38 on 2019-05-30 Permalink
Low hanging signs don’t work because the trailer is taller than the cabin. The drivers won’t notice.
Some don’t notice signs either, so I think the alert systems need a strobe and an airhorn.
mare 23:20 on 2019-05-30 Permalink
A suggest a tire puncture device (spikes) that should come out of the road after the handling plank is hit and the truck doesn’t stop. Truck tires are expensive, I’m sure companies won’t be happy when their drivers cause major damage. And if they still continue, the now 20 cm lower truck might actually fit.