Preventing Bridge Strikes in association with Road Skills Online
Posted on 05/05/2025 ArrayWe are excited to announce that Parksafe Group are officially partnering up with Road Skills Online to work to reduce bridge strikes across the UK.
Why Road Skills Online?
In order to help our staff better understand Bridge Strikes, we undertook a toolbox talk with Road Skills Online, which is when we first formed our relationship.
We realised that whilst our Low Bridge Detection System offers a great driver aid in the final moments, combining this tool with education was a much more powerful way to prevent collisions.
Road Skills Online delivers highly informative, engaging and digestible online toolbox talks, helping companies and drivers to better understand their errors and misunderstandings, and find ways to address them.
We believe that by encouraging a combined approach, using both our technology and Road Skill’s training, we can bring an end to Bridge Strikes.
You can sign up for the free Bridge Strikes toolbox talk here.
Bridge Strikes: The Facts
Between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, there were 1,833 bridge strikes reported by Network Rail.
Each bridge strike costs an average of £13,000, leading to an annual expenditure of approximately £23 million.
Bridge strikes cause huge delays for rail and roads alike, waste valuable emergency service resources and have catastrophic effects on companies and drivers.
This is an entirely avoidable issue, which we hope to tackle through this exciting new partnership.
Parksafe Group’s solution for Preventing Bridge Collisions
Our award winning Low Bridge Detection System (LBDS) is the ideal driver aid for reducing and mitigating bridge strikes.
It works through a tracking solution with the UK’s entire low bridge network pre-programmed, to provide the driver with a visual and audible warning when approaching a low bridge. Vehicle information is inputted at install to minimise driver input.
The system activates when drivers enter a bridge’s geofence, and does not rely on a 4g signal to do this. It is remotely monitored and updated.
To see how the system works, watch here.
How to stop Bridge Strikes: Technology and Training
Independently, both training and technology are effective methods to prevent bridge strikes.
However, training can be forgotten, ignored or misunderstood and technology can be ignored or brushed off. Human error or driving on ‘autopilot’ is something which is very hard to entirely mitigate.
When combined, though, they can inform, support and reinforce one another. If a driver has forgotten their training, being prompted by our LBDS will remind them of it. Equally, if they are choosing to ignore the LBDS warning, their training may make them take this more seriously.
When paired, employing both our LBDS and Road Skills Online’s training means your drivers will have every tool possible to consider and evaluate their route, and hopefully put a stop to Bridge Strikes.
