Coach and bus insurance broking specialist McCarron Coates has stressed the importance of operators being able to show evidence of mitigating steps taken against the risk of bridge strike.
The broker highlights the risk of loss of O-Licence and higher insurance premiums which follow a coach or bus hitting a low bridge.
McCarron Coates Director Ian McCarron says: “The thought of being called before the Traffic Commissioner following a vehicle colliding with a bridge is one that strikes fear into the heart of operators.
“It is hard for them to convey all the effort they have put into avoiding such a strike, because, at that point, all of that commitment to safety has still resulted in an incident.
“With their O-Licence at risk, many sit there wondering what more they could possibly have done. Rather than having shown negligence or poor management, they have taken every step to prevent the strike, but still found themselves in the situation that nobody wanted.”
For that reason, McCarron Coates advocates that operators should keep evidence of the steps taken with regard to bridge strike training.
It continues: “The Traffic Commissioner looks for signs of poor practice but having the documentation, training documents signed by drivers, and other evidence that everything possible was done to prevent the strike, can be an O-Licence-saver, if a defence is well constructed.”
McCarron Coates is promoting its “Accelerate” policy, which, in conjunction with JMW Solicitors, offers legal advice in the event of operators being brought before the Traffic Commissioner.
Mr McCarron says: “We know operators want to eradicate this issue from their daily operations but strikes still happen.
“We would urge operators to continue to do all they currently do, with regard to driver awareness and the use of automated systems, but also recognise tech solutions can be flawed.
“If a sat-nav is swapped between vehicles, it can have the wrong height inputted for the new vehicle. It may also not be foolproof, if not updated regularly. Look for systems that won’t let you and the driver down.
Fellow Director Paul Coates adds: “Preventing bridge strikes should be a major goal of every O-licence holder’s risk management.
“A bridge strike puts an operator’s day-to-day business at huge potential risk, so they must be able to demonstrate their good practice to the full, recognising that a moment of fatal distraction can and does happen when drivers are out on the road.
“Being prepared for the worst-case scenario is key and that preparation should consist of training, automated systems and strong legal representation, instantly on hand, if required.”
