Media centre

Friday 9 Jul 2004

-STOP BRIDGE STRIKES– NEW GUIDANCE FOR TRANSPORT MANAGERS AND PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS

Region & Route:

National

Transport managers and professional drivers will benefit from new guidance on preventing bridge strikes thanks to guides developed by a cross industry partnership. Network Rail owns the railway lines and structures across Great Britain and in recent years the number of high vehicles colliding with railway and road over bridges has shown a steady increase.  Since 1996 the number of bridge strikes reported to Network Rail has almost doubled to nearly 2000 incidents per year, over five per day. Road freight or construction plant transport vehicles are involved in 88% of these incidents. Bridge strikes cause damage, significant disruption and delays to both the road and rail transport industries.  Not only are they financially costly but the consequences can be fatal resulting in the death or serious injury of the professional driver.   They also pose a risk to the safety of rail staff and passengers.  Road and footbridges are regularly struck resulting in traffic delays and injuries. Network Rail, in partnership with the freight and construction plant transport industry, has produced two guides for professional drivers and transport managers to raise awareness of the risk and consequences of bridge  provide helpful guidance to prevent them.   Bridge advice- 2       The guides include information on legal requirements, road signs, route planning, vehicle height checks, and load security.  A handy route and vehicle check pro-forma is also provided to enable route planning and bridge height checks to be carried out and recorded prior to the start of a journey. Key tips for drivers include: ·        Planning journeys in advance to avoid low bridges. ·        Measuring the height and width of the vehicle and displaying them in the cab before travelling, considering both the load and equipment. ·        Vehicle height should be checked again after unloading/reloading. ·        Checking that lifting arms and other pieces of equipment are secured before and during the journey. ·        Planning of an alternative route, avoiding low bridges in case of road closures, diversions or heavy traffic. The guides are available on the websites of : the Health and Safety Executive, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the Association of Chief Constables, and can also be downloaded from the Network Rail website at www.networkrail.co.uk. David Jamieson, Parliamentary under Secretary of State said, “Bridge strikes can cause serious disruption to both road and rail users as well as posing a danger to the travelling public and staff working on the railway. Drivers can ensure that they avoid these incidents through a series of simple checks on their vehicles and their route. The guides published today will provide valuable information for drivers to ensure these kinds of incidents are reduced.” Bridge advice- 3       John Armitt, Chief Executive, Network Rail said, “We are working hard to reduce the number of bridge strikes as part of our commitment to delivering a safe and reliable railway. These guides will assist both professional drivers and transport managers to plan journeys and avoid unnecessary damage, costs and delays.”