Another wicked bridge!

[AndrewE]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-42435613
says

Double-decker's roof torn off by bridge in Bournville

 

[AM9]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-42435613
says

Are these drivers not reviewed to assess their driving competence or does it have to wait until somebody is injured or killed?

 

[Nean]

I can't be the only one slightly amused by the "for headache relief on the move" advert on the side of the bus...

 

[Oliver]

The way that the report says that the top of the bus was "torn off by the bridge" is a bit harsh. The bridge was stationary, and minding its own business at the time.

 

[BestWestern]

Are these drivers not reviewed to assess their driving competence or does it have to wait until somebody is injured or killed?

PCV drivers are required to undertake their CPC training periodically, but other than that no, the same as any other road vehicle driver. Hitting a low bridge is generally a case of inattention, rather than lack of skill as such, although of course it still constitutes very poor driving. As such the penalties can be harsh, with disqualification a distinct possibility.

On a side note, the damage to the bus here looks like an exceptionally 'clean' cut, even the seats are all still intact. So repair or open top conversion are probably likely.

 

[TH172341]

Believe that the vehicle involved is likely to be scrapped rather than any repair attempted being one of the older type at the garage it operated from.

 

[AndyHA]

No doubt the Daily Mail , will blame the Railway for suddenly putting the Bridge there !

 

[philthetube]

Are these drivers not reviewed to assess their driving competence or does it have to wait until somebody is injured or killed?

Not sure what you do to decide which of the thousands of drivers about are likely to hit a bridge, if we could predict every mistake people are going to make the world would be a much safer place.

 

[sprinterguy]

No doubt the Daily Mail , will blame the Railway for suddenly putting the Bridge there !

I wouldn't be at all surprised - Although I believe that the builders of the Worcester & Birmingham canal put it there in the first place, long before the railway got involved (The Midland Railway later added one of their typical blue brick facades and strengthening to the "railway side" portal when they came along).

 

[185]

So easy to do, when you routinely drive route A ie Single Deckers on that route, then get put on route B ie Deckers but go home empty via shortest route A.

That said, this wasn't a inch or two shy, it was a 10ft bridge, albeit dark and late at night.

 

[AM9]

Not sure what you do to decide which of the thousands of drivers about are likely to hit a bridge, if we could predict every mistake people are going to make the world would be a much safer place.

I was referring to an assessment after they had run into a bridge. BestWestern above has effectively said that driving into a bridge is a case of driving without due care and attention (DWDC&A), which depending on the circumstances can carry heavy penalties. If a driver doesn't lose his/her Driver PCP licence, there is certainly a case for reviewing the driver's competence. Of course there are also the cases of HGVs and high bodied PLGs being driven into overhead structures that are way below vehicle height and their drivers should also be subject to DWDC&A litigation even though their incompetence is less likely to injure/kill as they don't carry passengers.

 

[Moonshot]

There are some 1700 bridge strikes per year in the UK. I wonder how many drivers actually committed more than 1?

Mistakes happen, no matter how good a driver is. Would you consider a driver incompetent if he had made 1 mistake in a 25 year career that was otherwise unblemished?

 

[Raul_Duke]

I hope any bus passengers that were delayed sent a torrent of abuse to the bus companies twitter account and then recieved compensation for their late bus.

And then the daily mail ran a story about how much bus drivers are paid compared to nurses.

 

[jon0844]

On a side note, the damage to the bus here looks like an exceptionally 'clean' cut, even the seats are all still intact. So repair or open top conversion are probably likely.

So clean that next time a company wants an open top conversion, they'll know how to do it.

 

[Ploughman]

Was it a regular bus driver or somebody else?
Southport had a couple of incidents like this when the late fitter missed the staff bus after close of service and borrowed a bus to get home, forgetting about Peel St bridge.

 

[al78]

There are some 1700 bridge strikes per year in the UK. I wonder how many drivers actually committed more than 1?

Mistakes happen, no matter how good a driver is. Would you consider a driver incompetent if he had made 1 mistake in a 25 year career that was otherwise unblemished?

Quite possibly yes, depending on just how careless the driver would need to be to make the mistake. The previous career of the driver is irrelevant, it is the careless/dangerous action which caused damage or injury that is the issue.

Would you try excuse someone assaulting a member of rail staff if they had no previous conviction of assault, had recently lost their job and their wife, were in an extremely mentally distressed state, and yet another delay on the train just brought them to breaking point?

How about a train driver passing a red signal resulting in a crash. "Oops sorry, these things happen, I'm only human and everyone makes mistakes", "Ok, that's alright then, just don't do it again, off you go".

Why is it that the reaction to road incidents is to try and either excuse or play down the actions of the perpetrator, in a way that would never happen in any other situation where hazardous machinery is used. Is it because driving is such a routine activity for most people, they just want to believe it is perfectly safe, and don't want to accept they could potentially be responsible for someones death or injury with a moments inattention?

 

[Moonshot]

Quite possibly yes, depending on just how careless the driver would need to be to make the mistake. The previous career of the driver is irrelevant, it is the careless/dangerous action which caused damage or injury that is the issue.

Would you try excuse someone assaulting a member of rail staff if they had no previous conviction of assault, had recently lost their job and their wife, were in an extremely mentally distressed state, and yet another delay on the train just brought them to breaking point?

How about a train driver passing a red signal resulting in a crash. "Oops sorry, these things happen, I'm only human and everyone makes mistakes", "Ok, that's alright then, just don't do it again, off you go".

Why is it that the reaction to road incidents is to try and either excuse or play down the actions of the perpetrator, in a way that would never happen in any other situation where hazardous machinery is used. Is it because driving is such a routine activity for most people, they just want to believe it is perfectly safe, and don't want to accept they could potentially be responsible for someones death or injury with a moments inattention?

Sorry . what has that got to do with a driver colliding with a bridge?

I must admit the drama queen mentality of this forum really doesnt do it any favours

 

[Macwomble]

Probably looking at "Driving without due care & attention" & a P45.

Oh dear!

 

[Moonshot]

Probably looking at "Driving without due care & attention" & a P45.

Oh dear!

Ok , what about a train driver who goes past a shunt signal at red - low risk spad of which there are about 200 or so per year ? P45?

 

[pemma]

Fortunately there were no passengers on board

The roof of a double-decker bus was torn off when it passed under a low railway bridge.

The top of the vehicle was "completely removed" when it went through the tunnel in Bournville Lane, Birmingham, according to a paramedic who attended.

Photos show extensive damage to the National Express West Midlands bus, which was out of service at the time.

No passengers were on board and the driver, in his 30s, was not injured.

The bridge, near Cadbury World, bears signs warning of a 10ft (3m) height limit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-42435613

Is there maybe some form of GPS warning system that could be fitted to double deckers to prevent this kind of human error?

 

[meolebrace]

Vehicle struck Bridge at Soho Junction. XC train in front was examing it apparently.

 

[kevconnor]

JP Travel in Middleton Junction had a bridge just as you turned left outside the depot, I think they somehow managed to have numerous bridge strikes over the years.

 

[Busaholic]

JP Travel in Middleton Junction had a bridge just as you turned left outside the depot, I think they somehow managed to have numerous bridge strikes over the years.

They should have had a notice in the depot forecourt 'no left turn, except on Service P45'

 

[Midlandman]

North Western Road Car used to have a notice in BIG lettering above the windscreen (on double deckers) warning the driver that "this vehicle will not pass under Wilmslow station bridge". (Long time, I think, since ANY buses were scheduled down that road).

 

[Chris M]

JP Travel in Middleton Junction had a bridge just as you turned left outside the depot, I think they somehow managed to have numerous bridge strikes over the years.

Bow garage in London has a low bridge not far from the garage, and there is a large sign above the exit saying that all buses must turn left (or words to that effect).

 

[Crossover]

JP Travel in Middleton Junction had a bridge just as you turned left outside the depot, I think they somehow managed to have numerous bridge strikes over the years.

A bus (possibly a Stagecoach one) came to grief there only a few months ago, as I recall

What used to be the JP Travel garage is now a new housing estate

 

[Busaholic]

Bow garage in London has a low bridge not far from the garage, and there is a large sign above the exit saying that all buses must turn left (or words to that effect).

I've never heard of a double deck strike there. It couldn't have happened in electric traction days of course, but when diesels came to Bow it coincided with Clay Hall bus garage closing. CH only worked the 8 and 8A (at the end, anyway) which terminated at Old Ford, so a transfer to Bow with buses operated out of service (unusual in itself in those days) and drivers new to working there would, you might think, provide great scope for a close encounter. In London, Finsbury Park must have been the scene of most such accidents over the years, probably followed by Gospel Oak and Norbiton, when the latter had a bus garage nearby. Chislehurst Water Tower on the 227 was another but, perhaps surprisingly, not Shortlands on the same route. Any double deck driver seeing Shortlands and thinking they might squeeze it under should imo face a lifetime driving ban, mind.

 

[Deerfold]

Fortunately there were no passengers on board



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-42435613

Is there maybe some form of GPS warning system that could be fitted to double deckers to prevent this kind of human error?

In London the iBus system, if on (even if not logged in) will give 3 warnings as you get closer to a low bridge. However this needed all bridges in London to be surveyed and added to the system. It's also not very good at multi-level roads so can go off as a bus goes over the bridge.

 

[carlberry]

Any double deck driver seeing Shortlands and thinking they might squeeze it under should imo face a lifetime driving ban, mind.

I suspect that out of 100 double deck bridge strikes there may be one driver that thought they could squeeze under it. There is nothing in the cab of a double decker that really tells the driver it's a decker (there may be a large notice about it's height however that isn't going to trigger any natural reaction after you've read it once). If they're used to driving single deckers along a road then driving a decker along the same road is the same experience and the same result. This dosent excuse them, however most of them are only human and dont have eyes 6ft above their head. Given the technology we have nowadays it wouldn't be hard to fit height sensing equipment around a lot of bridges to trigger warning signs which would also catch the HGVs the strike them every few hours.

 

[Flying Snail]

In London the iBus system, if on (even if not logged in) will give 3 warnings as you get closer to a low bridge. However this needed all bridges in London to be surveyed and added to the system. It's also not very good at multi-level roads so can go off as a bus goes over the bridge.

There is at least one commercial system available.

http://bridgeclear.com

I drove some deckers fitted with this, similar to the system you mentioned it also was set off going over low bridges, it was the only time I'd remember the thing was fitted as there are not many low bridges here anyway. Still a few Dublin Bus deckers were volunteered for the tour bus fleet earlier than planned by one particular bridge in the city and always on the same day of the year; Marathon day when a lot of the main roads get closed.