Untrained truck drivers behind rise in Melbourne bridge crashes

A new frontrunner has emerged as Melbourne’s worst bridge for truck collisions, as new data reveals it was struck once a month over the past two years.

Not even close. A cement truck is stuck under the Montague St light rail bridge.

Untrained drivers getting behind the wheel of trucks have been blamed for the high strike rate of heavy goods vehicles slamming into bridges across metropolitan Melbourne.

“It’s people driving trucks who don’t know how to drive trucks,’’ Victorian Transport Association chief executive Peter Anderson said.

The comments follow the release of official data that reveals a railway bridge over Racecourse Rd in Flemington was struck by a large vehicle on average almost every month for the past two years.

A truck wedged under the light-rail bridge on Montague St. Picture: Jay Town

The latest bridge-strike records from the Department of Transport shows that the 3.7m-high bridge near Newmarket station was hit 21 times during 2021 and 2022.

Vehicles – trucks, buses and even high vans – often either hit the protective steel gantry or brought down tram lines, halting the No 57 services.

The crashes cause delays and disruption to the road and tram network. The department data shows that every bridge strike at the Racecourse Rd bridge site takes four hours to clear, triggering traffic havoc and disrupting 60 tram services.

A cement truck driver misjudged the height of the Montague St light-rail bridge.

The Montague St bridge in Southbank was hit 16 times in the 2021-22 period, while Napier St, Footscray, was struck on 14 occasions.

Inadequate heavy vehicle driver training and inexperienced drivers getting behind the wheel of small rental trucks or vans have been blamed for the persistent problem, Victorian Transport Association chief executive officer Peter Anderson said.

A truck less than 4.5 tonne can be driven with a car licence.

“So you get people who are moving home and follow Google maps and it says you can go a certain way.

“Google or other maps don’t warn you about bridge heights and most people wouldn’t know how high their vehicle is anyway.’’

A shipping container is dislodged at the Napier St bridge crash. Picture: MTAG/Martin Wurt

Inadequate training for heavy goods vehicle licences was also a major problem in Victoria where driver shortages were widespread in the industry, Mr Anderson said.

The problem at the Napier St underpass is often caused by drivers hauling shipping containers but get caught when they are unaware of carrying larger containers which are 23cm higher.

A Gold Bus hit Montague St bridge in 2016.

The Montague St bridge has just 3m clearance and is regularly hit despite measures to alert approaching drivers.

Department of Transport and Planning spokesman urged drivers of high vehicles to pay attention to bridge heights.

Nondescript school holiday jerk with a headache and an insurance policy that is now very void!!!
📸 @heidimurpic.twitter.com/JNMi4SSNFe

— Montague Street Bridge (@MontagueStBridg) September 19, 2022

“A number of charges can be brought against both the driver and the company that owns the heavy vehicle that has collided with a bridge.

“Failing to obey a low clearance or clearance sign can result in an $806 fine, and the driver and/or operator will also be held responsible for costs to repair damage.”

Tram lines are often damaged or brought down by high trucks. Picture: Jay Town.

An height clearance map showing clearances across the state is available online for all drivers.

The Montague St Bridge even has its own Twitter account, which says it’s “allegedly invisible to the naked eye”.

The number of small trucks and vans on Victoria’s roads has risen nearly 12 per cent since 2018, the department said.