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legal
guide to UK motoring, sections for law enforcement, Driver licensing,
learner and new drivers, buying and selling, speeding fines, owning a
vehicle, wheel clamping, traffic information
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5
- Low bridge signs
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Each
year there arehundreds of incidents inwhich bridges are struck
byvehicles too high to passunder them. Both rail androad users
have been killed in these incidents. Look outfor signs in this
section andmake sure that you arenot a bridge basher.
All bridges with a clearance of less than 16 feet 6 inches (about5
metres) are normally signed. Both regulatory roundels andwarning
triangles can be used, depending on the type of bridge.
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Bridges
particularly at risk from strikesmay have a variable message
sign thatis activated by high vehicles passing through an infra-red
beam. When the sign is activated, four amber lamps flash, the
top pair alternating with the bottom pair. |
Regulatory
signs
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vehiclesover the height shown may pass the sign (height
shownin metric and imperial units) |
No
vehiclesover the height shown may pass the sign (height
shownin imperial units) |
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At
non-arch bridgesmandatory signs may beused; it is unlawful
for anoverheight vehicle to passone of these. They areplaced
on the bridge and atthe side of the road in frontof the bridge.
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Advance
warning ofa mandatory height restriction ahead; the
sign may include an arrow, if the restriction is on
a side road
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Location
of mandatory height restriction ahead, with indication
of an alternative route
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Warning signs
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A
warning sign indicates, in imperial units, themaximum headroom
under a bridge or otheroverhead obstruction. There may be anadditional
sign showing the height in metricunits. These signs may be sited
well in advanceof a bridge, with the distance, either in yards
ormiles, shown on a plate; this may have anarrow to indicate
that the bridge is on a sideroad at a junction ahead. |
Chord markings used indicate the points between which differentheadrooms
over different parts of an arch bridge are available.
The maximum safe headroom at an arch bridge is shown on thetriangular
warning signs. Road markings guide high vehiclesthrough the highest
part of the arch. Drivers of all vehicles shouldgive way to oncoming
high vehicles in the middle of the roadwhen there is insufficient
room to pass. Drivers of cars and otherlow vehicles may keep to
the left-hand side of the road, crossingthe road markings, where
this would enable them to passoncoming vehicles in safety
To improve the conspicuity of a bridge, black and yellow bandsmay
be added to the arches or beams and to the abutments.
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Where
reduced headroom over a roadis due to an overhanging building
orstructure, a plate may be added below thewarning triangle
to indicate this ("building"may be varied to "buildings" or
"structure"). |
Signs incorporating height restrictionroundels
and warning triangles
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or warning triangleswill sometimes be incorporatedinto directional
signs that mayalso indicate an alternative routeto take to
avoid the low bridge. |
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Roundels
may also beincorporated into road workssigns to indicate temporaryheight
restrictions. |
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