Hochul Has Plan To Help Keep Trucks From Hitting Low Clearance Bridges

NEW YORK — In New York, where tractor-trailers strike low clearance bridges with surprising regularity, Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled the latest initiative to help potentially stop bridge strikes.

Hochul announced on Monday that state police are conducting a bridge hit enforcement campaign that started on Nov. 5 and will run through Nov. 11.

Annually, drivers of commercial trucks, rental box trucks and moving trucks, fail to recognize their vehicle’s height and collide with bridges and overpasses, creating public safety hazards, traffic delays and damage to bridges across the state. In 2021 and 2022, there were a total of 808 reported bridge strikes across New York.

"Bridge strikes are potentially hazardous to motorists and first responders and have caused needless inconveniences for local communities – but these incidents are 100 percent preventable," Hochul said. "While we have implemented measures and technologies across the state to help prevent bridge strikes, nothing is more powerful than knowledge. Drivers of overheight vehicles have a responsibility here as well: follow posted warnings, know the height of vehicles and most importantly pay attention."

State police are patrolling areas of known bridge hits and parkways this week in the hopes of preventing commercial motor vehicles and oversized vehicles from colliding with overpasses. They will also collaborate with local law enforcement commercial vehicle inspectors in areas with high numbers of bridge strikes.

“Commercial vehicle drivers must know their height, and must always be cognizant of any low bridges along their route," New York State Police Acting Superintendent Dominick L. Chiumento said. "Too many times have we had a commercial vehicle that thought they could squeeze under an overpass. Avoiding these low bridges is crucial for the safety of all that travel New York’s roadways. Not only do bridge strikes cause significant damage and disruption to traffic but they have the potential to present additional hazards to other drivers and the communities wherein these low bridges are found."

In coordination with the enforcement campaign, the New York State Police, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), the Thruway Authority and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee will raise awareness through social media channels throughout this week.

The NYSDOT’s "Check Your Height, Know It’s Right" campaign is designed to ensure that drivers know the height of their vehicles so they know if they can safely make it under bridges. It features videos, graphics, photos, and social media messages. The campaign stresses that it is a driver's responsibility to know their vehicle's height and avoid bridges that they are too tall for. The NYSDOT will also continue to alert drivers of overheight vehicles that GPS and cell phone maps do not include bridge height warnings, putting them at increased risk of collisions.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee will also be visiting motor carrier inspection locations to distribute information on preventing bridge strikes.

"There have been far too many incidents of bridge strikes involving trucks and over-height vehicles in recent years, which are not only dangerous but completely preventable," New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said. "While we will continue implement measures that alert drivers to potential low-clearance bridges, it is the responsibility of the operators to drive safely and pay attention to all warnings in place. I thank Governor Hochul and our agency partners for their work in keeping all everyone safe on New York’s roads."

The DMV has proposed regulations which include assigning point values on a driver’s license for striking a bridge or speeding in a work zone. These proposed regulations are posted in the State Register with a public comment period running through Nov. 6.

So far this year, there have been 91 reported bridge strikes on the New York State Thruway’s 570-mile highway, compared to 63 reported bridge strikes in all of 2022, a 44 percent increase from last year. One of the most serious incidents included the South Broadway overpass in South Nyack, which was struck by an overheight tractor trailer on Aug. 31, causing all southbound lanes of I-87/I-287 to be closed for 16 hours on Sept. 9 for removal of two damaged girders to stabilize the overpass.

SEE ALSO:

• See Photos: Tractor Trailer Gets Stuck Under MTA Train Bridge
• 'Significant' Delays Persist After Truck Hits Overpass On I-87
• Bridge Reopens With Severe Restrictions After Thruway Truck Crash
• Work Closing SB I-87 Includes Replacing Bridge Girder Severed By Truck
• Semi-Truck Hits Bridge Jamming Rush Hour Traffic On The Hutch

Perhaps, not surprisingly, truckers are in favor of the steps to eliminate the bridge vs. truck collisions as well.

"TANY is proud to work with our state partners on the Bridge Hit Mitigation Task Force to prevent bridge strikes in New York. Education is a critical component to ensure that drivers, both professional and those that drive rental trucks, take the extra step to check the height of their vehicle, know their route, and be diligent about paying attention to road signs," Trucking Association of New York (TANY ) President Kendra Hems said, "In conjunction with the education campaign, targeted enforcement sends the message about the seriousness of the issue. TANY looks forward to continuing to work on this important issue with our partners as we all strive to prevent bridge strikes in the future."