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Foolish drivers

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enniscorthyman

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From their website

"We have highly trained and experienced staff that remain committed to providing a professional and specialist relocation service"

I didn't think relocating your art and antiques to the middle of an active double railroad was to be advised especially if your collection of locos and rolling stock is in there!:facepalm:

 

One has to wonder how close the barrier got to connecting with the overheads.....?

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  • 4 weeks later...
You would think after so many accidents they would make it safer...

 

There would be the usual argument over who should pay the railroad/the city/State or Federal government.

 

The combination of speed & sudden narrowing of the traffic lanes under the bridge is potentially lethal with cars and van striking the abutment and re-bounding to the opposite side of the road.

 

I once drove from New York through Southern Ontario to Chicago and the Mid-West the only place we were honked at or came across really agressive driving was in Canada.

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John, you haven't experienced Texas. It must be the extremes of temperature that affect the cognitive processes

 

Some day Some day

 

To drive from New Orleans and follow the old SP across Texas and Arizona to the Pacific is still one of my unfilled ambitions.

 

Last time I was in the states wife made me turn back half way across Montana she thought I would not stop till I reached the Pacific, when all I wanted to see was some blue MRL diesels, got to Bedrock though and eat a Broto-Burger. :)

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I wonder if all this bridge bashing in the UK and Ireland is because of the hgv driver shortage, because who in their right mind would want to make a career of it? What with the cost of training, drivers hours regs, veh regs,traffic and all the other idiots on the road. So employers take the easiest and cheapest option who probably come from eastern europe and do not have the best command of English. rant rant! Oh yes; I used to drive hgv"s:rolleyes:

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I wonder if all this bridge bashing in the UK and Ireland is because of the hgv driver shortage, because who in their right mind would want to make a career of it? What with the cost of training, drivers hours regs, veh regs,traffic and all the other idiots on the road. So employers take the easiest and cheapest option who probably come from eastern europe and do not have the best command of English. rant rant! Oh yes; I used to drive hgv"s:rolleyes:

 

The lack of road knowledge in combination with inadequate information in maps could be a factor. You would expect accurate information on road maps and GPS/routing systems.

 

Before the building of the West Link bridge and the M50, European truck drivers regularly tried the R109 narrow and twisting road from Chapelizod to Castleknock as a short cut from the Galway (N5) to the Navan Road (N3).

 

For anyone that does not know the area the road has a severe height restriction at Knockmaroon Hill. Although there were overhead gantry loading gauges at Chapelizod and the top of the hill, the odd driver still tried it and had their driving skills tested having to reverse an artic and 40' trailer from the bottom of the hill along the narrow twisting Martins Row to Chapelizod Village

 

I doubt few if any drivers made the same mistake twice.

 

We tend to protect high risk overbridges with box section impact beams independent of the bridge span or deck.

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Pursued by a Dublin Bus and apprehended after hitting the second bridge - an episode of Killinaskully, perhaps..?

 

 

Possibly something to re-enact on a Dart layout?

 

The Truck drivers in question obviously a bit dim. HGV drivers are usually thinking 4 moves ahead so it must be some dimwits that hit bridges so well marked. Having said that why don't the local authorities place gauge bars about 20 meters each side of low bridges, the trucks would hit those first alerting the driver before they hit masonry or steel? It's done in other countries.

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Optical over-height detector for the illuminated sign before the bridge on the Mountrath road out of Port Laoise.

 

 

And, the sign itself.

 

 

People still hit it.

 

Mainly because the things don't work! The one on the Mountrath road (on the other side) used to detect a tree when it worked. As a result of all these false warnings, people ignored them and hit it.

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The Truck drivers in question obviously a bit dim. HGV drivers are usually thinking 4 moves ahead so it must be some dimwits that hit bridges so well marked. Having said that why don't the local authorities place gauge bars about 20 meters each side of low bridges, the trucks would hit those first alerting the driver before they hit masonry or steel? It's done in other countries.

 

KiwiRail use side beams to protect railway over bridges from side impact damage. The basic idea is that the beams and truck absorb the impact rather than the railway bridge. The beams are large box section steel painted yellow supported by the bridge abutments or an independent structure.

 

bridge collision beam.jpg

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