ACK! Bridge strike in Denver! Anybody close enough to help?!?!

THIS is exactly why we have CSA and SAFERSYS, etc. So people who hire steering wheel holders like the guy who nearly got his head knocked off (literally, his head must have been level with the bottom of that bridge) are going to fade away... IF (Big IF) IF brokers really hold to this and stop hiring people who have drivers that do this stuff, maybe the guys who know what they're doing will be able to make a living in this industry.

I have been over 15' high for 90% of my career and have one bridge hit that cost big money (dozens of rubs and scrapes). I guess if you never have to look up its easier to not see the bridge that your exhaust stack just got bent on.

 

He hit one bridge and you hit one bridge.. Im just saying

 

CSA has very little to do with it. Tell me how racking up 'points' for having non-working lights and the occasional flat-spotted tire is going to predict that a driver will incur a bridge strike in the future.

Accident reports and incidents reported to a driver's official MVR (such as this bridge strike) are what should be used to determine future risk.

 

Last week was an eye-opener for me regarding how it can happen. I had passed the first 12'11" sign and was coming up on the bridge before I consciously thought about what was on the sign. I subconsciously registered 13'11", since that's what the bridge height actually appeared to be as I was coming up on it, and there was nothing that made me stand up and take notice, like a big LOW CLEARANCE sign to go with it. Nevertheless, I immediately slowed because after thinking about it, I realized that I wasn't 100% sure that it was 13'11" on the sign. As I was slowing, the second (black and white) 12'11" sign came into view, which made me stop completely to re-evaluate.

I could have easily convinced myself that the first sign read 13'11" and continued on. In the end, it turned out that there WAS enough clearance, signage being what it is in New York. But the fact that I didn't immediately recognize and react before passing the first sign made it very clear that I needed to readjust my level of vigilance going forward.

So yes, I can see how someone would get tunnel vision being within spitting distance of the receiver and with the pressure of an appointment looming.

@dude, be careful how you think - the next one could very well be YOU.

 

New York State historically marks underpasses 1 foot lower than actual. That said, I have seen train underpasses in NY city the same height as was posted. When it comes to bridge heights, TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED!!

 

There was a bridge strike on I-81 near Watertown, NY a couple of years ago. DOT decided to close the bridge and the road down rather than pay the bill to fix it. They must have taken the insurance money and spent it.

Best of luck to the OP anyway. We are all only a phone call away from this so we shouldn't get too arrogant, bad karma being what it is. Question to the OP: Reckless to the driver but did they write you up also?

 

Interesting. I wonder if you can Data-Q that off? The sign was simply stating the clearance; it had no instructions directing over height vehicles to not attempt to pass underneath. And it wasn't a white regulatory sign, it was a yellow sign.

Might get it removed on a technicality.