Truck drivers in Ireland have been told to ‘wise up’ by Irish Rail chiefs after an increased number have hit bridges because their vehicles are too tall to get under them.
The problem is on the rise with 68 incidents so far this year. There were 85 bridge strikes in the whole of 2014.
Dublin is seeing the worst rate of increase with more than double the number of incidents (25) this year already compared to the total last year (12).
Vehicles colliding with bridges is one of the worst safety risks faced by Irish Rail and causes huge travel issues with both the trains and roads being effected.
Irish Rail cannot allow trains to resume their service over a bridge until it has undergone a structural assessment to make sure it is still safe.
An Irish Rail spokesperson said: “The basic intelligence and competence of drivers involved in these incidents must now be called into question. We have endeavoured to inform and educate drivers, we have advertised, we have improved our signage, we have seen prosecutions and we have introduced new technologies – the message has to get through. It is basic safety for truckers to know the height of their vehicles and the bridges on their routes.
“Not even the added deterrents of penalty points and hefty fines have prevented repeated strikes on bridges, particularly in the south of Dublin City.”
Truck drivers told to 'wise up' after increase in bridge collisions
