The mocking tone of this section of this post just reinforces the view that the road haulage industry does not take safety. especially of others, seriously.
I'd invite you to re-read every post I've made on this subject and reconsider whether (a) I take safety seriously and (b) am in any way a representative of "the road haulage industry".
No one is seriously suggesting thay HGV drivers should measure the height of their vehicles with a broom. That was simply a demonstration as to how easy it would be IF THE DRIVER COULD BE BOTHERED.
Hence the 'hamster-wheel' comment. It doesn't matter what high/low tech or cheap/expensive solution you opt for -
it will not be used if the driver cannot be bothered. Or more likely forgets to measure, mis-measures, forgets the measurement, doesn't see the signs, doesn't see the bridge, or is a complete idiot. It is a discussion that can go round and round ad infinitum and still never stop a bridge being bashed.
It would be just as easy for every HGV to be equipped with proper gear to measure the height, but that would cost money so that is out of the question.
Ok, here's my 'solution'. It should be mandated that every lorry and tractor unit carrying a variable height load should be fitted with an external height indicator pole on the cab. This pole would be adjustable and it would be the duty of the driver to set the top of the pole to be the same as the highest point of the load before every journey. This could be a difficult job to do accurately, but for reasons I'll go on to explain, the driver would be incentivised to do it well.
The adjustable pole would be fitted with a calibrated digital sensor which would give an accurate reading of overall height to be displayed digitally in the cab - with the availability of a digital feed to devices like SatNavs and the Tacho.
The reason for having the indicator pole external to the cab is so the police and/or any concerned member of the public can easily spot and report a vehicle which is being driven with an incorrectly set height measurement. Furthermore, the top of the pole could be fitted with some form of laser target that would enable roadside enforcement equipment to compare the indicated height to actual height thus allowing automatic penalties to be issued if there is a significant under indication of height. (The driver's incentive to do their job properly). A digital transponder could be used instead.
The same equipment could be fitted at depots so the driver could verify the height indicator was correct before going onto the road. Companies could be incentivised to do this through lower insurance premiums if their depots and fleets are so equipped. (This could also incentivise rapid retrofitting)
Foreign vehicles without the equipment would be stopped at the point of entry and sent back.
If mandated and factory fitted, such a system could cost less than the entertainment system and therefore be insignificant in terms of new-vehicle cost. The system would reduce the possibility of the driver mismeasuring or miscalculating the height, and the digital display overcomes the problem of remembering the height for the duration of the journey.
In fact I think it might be the perfect solution..... Other than the fact fixed-height lorries and buses
already have the height prominently displayed in the cab, yet those drivers still hit bridges.
So could we please accept that although accurately measuring the height of lorries is important, and punishing drivers who "can't be bothered" might have a role to play, it is not going to stop bridges being hit without a more comprehensive approach towards other aspects of the problem.