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Height rules attack
Page 19
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NEW DEPARTMENT of Transport regulations effective from March 6, which require that the height of vehicles, including loads, should be displayed in the cab, were criticised by the Freight Transport Association's traffic officer, Don McIntyre, at an RAC Accident Prevention conference last week.
The regulations apply to vehicles over 12ft, which are most likely to damage railway bridges. Those specified are mobile cranes or civil engineering machinery, lorries carrying machinery, containers or skips, and demountable bodies.
The notice in the cab must clearly show height, including load, in feet and inches so that the driver can compare his vehicle with road signs showing headroom under bridges. Mr McIntyre pointed out that measurements are required to be accurate to within plus or minus one inch. "The very conditions under which many of the vehicles covered by the rules are used," he said, "make such accurate measurements virtually impossible."
Mr McIntyre called the regulations "well-meaning but ineffective," saying that problems in conforming with such legislation occur when Government does not consult with industry.
Other factors, such as the provision of accurate, clearly visible signs showing bridge heights, had not been considered, said Mr McIntyre. He felt that the regulations would do little to reduce bridge collisions and urged driver education as a viable alternative.
The DTp states that there are 500 incidents each year involving high lorries passing under railway bridges.
• The Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No 5) Regulations 19 78 (SI 1978 No 1317), HMSO 20p