171–180 of 206 posts
Or they could you know....just build a tunnel big enough to fir every vehicle size? I don't think this problem exists in the UK, I've driven through many different tunnels and they will accept any vehicle size.
The UK has plenty of very old infrastructure that was not designed for modern trucks.
Example from elsewhere in this thread, built in 1897: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=blackwall+tunnel&hl=en&...
That's a cute high-tech solution. A simpler one is to put a horizontal bar, the same height as the tunnel's ceiling, which will physically stop the truck before causing millions worth of damages. It's often done in France, sometimes with an early warning: a first arch with chains hanging to the maximal height. It makes a lot of noise on the truck's top, but won't destroy it.
You just need to remember that a small number of people are just not going to get it. Mostly truck drivers that are dead tired. That water screen does the trick because you're not expecting it. Signs, bumps, and noises are all common to highway driving. In Boston a few months ago a coach bus had the top ripped off going under a 10ft bridge on a road that truck/bus traffic is banned from. The driver hit several low ba…
This. People don't even realize how important it is that people operating heavy machinery are well rested, and sometimes even put down appropriate regulations as just "worker's issues". Then you get a sleepy, bored guy on a highway, with neither awareness to spot dangerous situations, or willpower left to restrain from doing stupid things. It's a testament to how good they are at their jobs that they get to their destinations at all.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> When they hit it, they will definitely stop, and replacing the sign is a fraction of the cost of the water sign Other comments seem to suggest this doesn't work [Low bars etc..] I am not sure how large a problem this is [No audio on vid :(] Asking people to stop sharply on a suddenly wet road doesn't seem an ideal solution. I think an addition would be to charge the drivers the cost of repair, this is not a tax on…
"I think an addition would be to charge the drivers the cost of repair" The cost of a repair to a bridge? Maybe if the driver's employer is Fedex perhaps but even then the worse case scenario is the driver looses his job but I'm sure that already happens regardless of cost impact.
It was a tunnel ;)
>Maybe if the driver's employer is Fedex perhaps but even then the worse case scenario is the driver looses his job but I'm sure that already happens regardless of cost impact.
I don't really want to punish somebody retrospectively for their actions in this case.
If my family and I were to be behind this over-sized vehicle at this time - I would think probably think much different.
Put a metal sign on a hinge that is at the too-tall height several hundred feet in front of the tunnel. When they hit it, they will definitely stop, and replacing the sign is a fraction of the cost of the water sign, which they can drive through anyway.
[1] http://goo.gl/maps/wrXWQ [2] http://www.policeone.com/news/35256-Loaned-fire-truck-stuck-...
edit: I'm not from NY I Googled and see it is the Holland tunnel which has the sign 12'6" (but it's actually 13') and We mean it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The warning beam is several stopping-distances before the tunnel itself, and far easier to replace/reconstruct. I'd try a 3-stage contact-warning system: (1) hanging bar that makes noise on contact but causes little damage. This might even go before a suitable turn-off. (2) breakaway cord with trailing noisemakers. This would be torn from its mast by the collision, and drag noisy items behind, emphasizing the need to…
And yet, with this solution, no repair is needed for either the truck or the infrastructure. The vehicle is able to be removed under its own power, the driver is not injured, there is no debris. If you are in a vehicle behind a truck that has damage to its top, you very likely will have damage to your vehicle from flying debris.
I'm mildly surprised that requiring trucks to file travel plans has not become a more widespread practice. What with terrorism concerns, and the widespread use of GPS monitors on trucks it's both feasible and plausible. It seems like major metro areas could institute a slightly tighter control of large load vehicles; which could actually benefit from coordinating with traffic control signals in some cases.
I'm also surprised that the drivers or their company failed to check a truck atlas when planning the route. I imagine the company has just as much incentive to prevent incidents.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The warning beam is several stopping-distances before the tunnel itself, and far easier to replace/reconstruct. I'd try a 3-stage contact-warning system: (1) hanging bar that makes noise on contact but causes little damage. This might even go before a suitable turn-off. (2) breakaway cord with trailing noisemakers. This would be torn from its mast by the collision, and drag noisy items behind, emphasizing the need to…
And yet, with this solution, no repair is needed for either the truck or the infrastructure. The vehicle is able to be removed under its own power, the driver is not injured, there is no debris. If you are in a vehicle behind a truck that has damage to its top, you very likely will have damage to your vehicle from flying debris.
After all, the water wall seems primarily visual, and the driver has already missed numerous visual warnings. The contact protectors add collision-noise and vibration, which are rare enough that even a dozing/road-hypnotized driver is likely to take note.
Comparative testing is of course justified.
That's a cute high-tech solution. A simpler one is to put a horizontal bar, the same height as the tunnel's ceiling, which will physically stop the truck before causing millions worth of damages. It's often done in France, sometimes with an early warning: a first arch with chains hanging to the maximal height. It makes a lot of noise on the truck's top, but won't destroy it.
You just need to remember that a small number of people are just not going to get it. Mostly truck drivers that are dead tired. That water screen does the trick because you're not expecting it. Signs, bumps, and noises are all common to highway driving. In Boston a few months ago a coach bus had the top ripped off going under a 10ft bridge on a road that truck/bus traffic is banned from. The driver hit several low ba…
And I think some people will STILL crash on the tunnel anyway. I made a arcade game once: www.abril.com.br/blog/campus-party/2011/01/19/fanatico-por-jogos-leva-seu-proprio-fliperama-para-a-arena/ It has instructions printed on the sides of the screen... It was VERY, VERY, VERY common to someone ask people around them what a button do (sometimes to even random passerby people, or for example a couple arrived at the ma…