Class A Low Bridge Accident

There is a bridge like this in Charlottesville, VA, where my daughter lives. It is near the campus of UVA. Every year there are vehicles that hit it and a motorhome or two as well. It is well marked on both sides and there are flashing lights and I think even a siren that warn you if your particular vehicle is over the height. Yet every year it gets hit. Daughter has been there a time or two where a lucky driver observed properly but could not back out alone. So the police do get involved and stop traffic and give the driver room to negotiate and get out. If a toad is on, it would involve disconnecting, then backing up far enough to take a side street. Very narrow roads in the heart of this ancient town.

Dale

Your time is coming!

Unobtanium wrote:
The guy got what he deserved. There is no shortage of the incompetent on the roads for whatever reason, especially recently. That applies to everything from the largest class A down to Dodge Neons. You currently have a high percentage who think traffic laws and common sense,along with common courtesy, no longer apply since Covid came along. Not to mention an 80 yr old geezer operating 10 tons of motorhome.

https://youtu.be/USu8vT_tfdw
For your vewing pleasure, not my link. If you notice there is a warning on chains before the bridge. Some just are oblivious to it. They did raise the bridge eventually. You should, know your height. And maybe have written it on the windshild or sun visor. I see bridges by me get hit by trucks a lot. If you think your going to be tight, go slow , use a spotter, and if you hit it stop. Addtionally, if there is snow on the road the bridge height will be lower. Also, signs usally dont get replaced after repaving/milling. So the signe is a guide and actual height can be diffrent.

The guy got what he deserved. There is no shortage of the incompetent on the roads for whatever reason, especially recently. That applies to everything from the largest class A down to Dodge Neons. You currently have a high percentage who think traffic laws and common sense,along with common courtesy, no longer apply since Covid came along. Not to mention an 80 yr old geezer operating 10 tons of motorhome.

An overheight warning will only do so much. People still need to have a bit of situational awareness. It should not be too tough, know how high your rig is, know how low whatever it is you are driving under is. Do the math. If the math doesn't work out, don't drive under it. But this website proves that for some people the math is somewhat fuzzy.

wallynm wrote:
I remember seeing this bridge or another like it om 60 minutes. I worked in a building that had a second story above a road way. They placed hanging chains before you could enter it to rake the top of the vehicle as it passed. We still had a coke truck ignore the warning and hit it.

We with the gee wizz electronic stuff today you would think the could rig a height device wired to a stop light that would detect a over height vehicle and trigger the stop light before the bridge. Would not turn green until you backed up and turned around.

Over height detectors have been in use for many years. They are sometimes ineffective because of a driver's/passenger's tunnel vision.

wallynm wrote:
I remember seeing this bridge or another like it om 60 minutes. I worked in a building that had a second story above a road way. They placed hanging chains before you could enter it to rake the top of the vehicle as it passed. We still had a coke truck ignore the warning and hit it.

We with the gee wizz electronic stuff today you would think the could rig a height device wired to a stop light that would detect a over height vehicle and trigger the stop light before the bridge. Would not turn green until you backed up and turned around.

Interesting idea. But unless it somehow singled out the oversized vehicle, I can see them sitting and getting infuriated because the light won't change and then just running the red light to end up hitting the bridge anyway.

I remember seeing this bridge or another like it om 60 minutes. I worked in a building that had a second story above a road way. They placed hanging chains before you could enter it to rake the top of the vehicle as it passed. We still had a coke truck ignore the warning and hit it.

We with the gee wizz electronic stuff today you would think the could rig a height device wired to a stop light that would detect a over height vehicle and trigger the stop light before the bridge. Would not turn green until you backed up and turned around.

down home wrote:
Still have our old Garmin and Rand McNutty. Been guided down goat paths, old stagecoach road, through lakes, following old Sauk trails now gone in Michigan, Down a brad sidewalk and back the way we came...under water of the lake.
Left turn in towns and back out on the same rad behind where we started. Same thing except down a narrow lane and through farmers field on along disappeared India path,and back out a mile behind where we started on US1 in Michigan. Twenty five miles beyond destination, east of Travers City, on the other side of hwy. Directed to turn into rivers and creeks,which is a lot of fun on a dark and stormy night and bunch more. A little hillarous...way after the fact if told properly.

I frequently mention the Great GPS Adventure when it took me hours away from anything and then told me to "go offroad in four miles". What it refused to tell me was that there was a highway not 5 miles away that would take me to the same destination.

It is a lot funnier now than when I was staring down a deer trail at dusk with no clue where I was.

Still have our old Garmin and Rand McNutty. Been guided down goat paths, old stagecoach road, through lakes, following old Sauk trails now gone in Michigan, Down a brad sidewalk and back the way we came...under water of the lake.
Left turn in towns and back out on the same rad behind where we started. Same thing except down a narrow lane and through farmers field on along disappeared India path,and back out a mile behind where we started on US1 in Michigan. Twenty five miles beyond destination, east of Travers City, on the other side of hwy. Directed to turn into rivers and creeks,which is a lot of fun on a dark and stormy night and bunch more. A little hillarous...way after the fact if told properly.