That's a cute high-tech solution. A simpler one is to put a horizontal bar, the same height as the tunnel's ceiling, which will physically stop the truck before causing millions worth of damages. It's often done in France, sometimes with an early warning: a first arch with chains hanging to the maximal height. It makes a lot of noise on the truck's top, but won't destroy it.
You just need to remember that a small number of people are just not going to get it. Mostly truck drivers that are dead tired. That water screen does the trick because you're not expecting it. Signs, bumps, and noises are all common to highway driving.
In Boston a few months ago a coach bus had the top ripped off going under a 10ft bridge on a road that truck/bus traffic is banned from. The driver hit several low bars and signs and plowed onward until the bridge cut the top off. Several times a year this happens on Storrow Drive, despite all the warning devices as some drivers just can't be reached.
A similar solution is used in my area yet perplexingly it still doesn't seem to stop it happening... so I think new ideas like this are definitely a good thing.
Did you see the truck in the video take out an enormous steel beam that was presumably attached to the structure of the tunnel in some kind of permanent way? How would your solution avoid the same fate?
I guess they are afraid that the broken bar can damage some other vehicle. Still, something heavier that can be damaged and can stop the truck before the tunnel is the proper solution, not the strange projections. Drivers are too sleepy sometimes, in spite of the expectations of the idealists.
They showed footage where low bars did physically stop the truck (or at least tore off the top part of the cargo container), but this still caused debris to be showered across the tunnel entrance, which resulted in large traffic delays.
These will make a fair mess of a vehicle, I saw them hitting a lorry once but are pretty attention grabbing.
The Blackwall Tunnel has different heights and widths for different lanes due to the tunnel profile which is why the restrictions are different in each lane in this photo.
In some jurisdictions, the owner of the truck can sue you for damages if the structure was constructed with the intent and purpose of damaging the truck.
Yes, but that would require that the road close for debris to be picked up. The water wall solution allows the tunnel to resume operation quickly. A small jam in the Sydney Harbour Tunnel blocks the whole city, so we want to avoid unnecessarily large delays.
It's a really cool idea, but I couldn't help but think they should move the water stop sign to well BEFORE the million dollar damage point. Some big trucks would have a hard time seeing the stop sign, reacting to it, slamming on the brakes, and coming to a complete stop in time before they cause damage to the overhang and beams.
The advantage with the signs before the final water sign is that they should be enough for any reasonably alert driver and don't make the environment more hazardous.
You really want to have the water screen projection, which douses the road with water, as the last line of defence. Water on the road is likely to make it far more difficult to stop a large truck like that. Having it earlier could actually be detrimental to their stopping ability[1].
We're also assuming the unexpected water doesn't cause additional accidents from all the other vehicles. A wall of water could provoke some quite irrational reactions. I drive that road on a fairly common basis and even a small accident there could well result in an expensive pile-up.
We have a variant of this installed on a tunnel (which is probably safer, but not as cool :) ): Directly after the last highway exit before reaching the tunnel is a light barrier installed. If something breaks the barrier the tunnel entrance will be closed by boom barriers (and warning lights, so nobody drives into the boom barriers). Then the police drives out to the tunnel, finds the culprit, pulls him out and unlocks the tunnel again.
Obviously, this only works because there is enough time after the last exit to block the tunnel before the truck reaches it.
That and apparently some active enforcement about load heights. Load height is one of the things that is checked and enforced at truck inspection stops on US highways and interstates for this exact reason (to try to prevent over tall loads from damaging bridges).
And I think some people will STILL crash on the tunnel anyway.
I made a arcade game once: www.abril.com.br/blog/campus-party/2011/01/19/fanatico-por-jogos-leva-seu-proprio-fliperama-para-a-arena/
It has instructions printed on the sides of the screen... It was VERY, VERY, VERY common to someone ask people around them what a button do (sometimes to even random passerby people, or for example a couple arrived at the machine, and the guy would start to play and ask stuff to his girlfriend), and then the asked either looked confused, or pointed to the instructions, and the people asking would behave surprised, confused and shamed.
Why people ignored the instructions and asked for example their girlfriends, random people and so on instead?
Why people see a huge sign blocking the way to a ATM saying it is out of order, they remove the sign from the way and attempt to use it anyway?
"multiple, obvious flashing warning signs wouldn't be that common."
Unfortunately they are way too common. Did you know there's wild animals living outdoors and they cross roads? 75 miles away a divorced family is having a custody dispute so here's abduction alert #243 for the year as a punishment from one parent to the other? There's a terrorist hiding behind every tree stump? Next month some roadwork is planned although nothing so far has been done other than put up the warning sign and barrels and collect higher traffic ticket fees? Six months ago a long term road work lane closure happened so everyday commuters now completely ignore a giant bright flashing warning that lanes have changed? The bright flashing overhead sign reports that 30 miles away where you aren't even going, there is a traffic jam? This is before I even get started on the billboard advertisements designed to distract you from driving.
If everything's an emergency, then nothing is an emergency. Including, unfortunately, bridge height.
The first three or four times I read this post title, it made no sense at all to me. It might as well have read "Sydney tunnel correct horse battery staple". Once I clicked through to the article it made sense, but this is one of the few times I wish the mods had edited the title to match the article.
A fairly low bridge (high enough for a standard trailer, but any oversized loads on a flatbed could easily hit it) in my area had what were essentially large metal cans hanging by wires along a sign warning about the height. Anything tall enough to hit the bridge would hit the bits hanging from the sign and clang them around/together/against the vehicle which makes a pretty audible noise for the driver.
I'm mildly surprised that requiring trucks to file travel plans has not become a more widespread practice. What with terrorism concerns, and the widespread use of GPS monitors on trucks it's both feasible and plausible. It seems like major metro areas could institute a slightly tighter control of large load vehicles; which could actually benefit from coordinating with traffic control signals in some cases.
The drivers cannot be not simply ignoring the signs.
The sign is telling them that later down the road they will absolutely get in to problems, and get literally stuck. No one would continue with that certainty of getting stuck or in trouble. On top of that, it cant be repeat offenders either. Some one who has been there before must have gotten caught out, one way or another. Its not like drivers on small roads who see a 6ft width restriction sign, but know through local knowledge that really you can squeeze 7ft wide car through the lane.
What we have is drivers who do not know the road, and in their minds don't think the big huge warning signs are meant for them. In their heads they think it for a another driver on the road in close proximity, even if there is no sign of one.
The problem with road signs is making it known to specific individuals that the message is absolutely for them. The brilliant last resort sign absolutely makes it clear who the message is for.
So the key is to some how make driver know that the message is actually for them specifically.
Because nothing communicates "STOP" better than A GIANT F'ING RED GLOWING STOP SIGN AS BIG AS YOUR TRUCK RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE. ('shouting' to convey the brain-slamming scale of the message it communicates, not yelling at you.)
It can't hang down lower than the height limit. Trucks that are over by just a few inches will not even feel the hit, as seen in the other videos posted here.
And lastly a large flashing sign, or water sign, saying there is tire damage up ahead. Then have tire damage spikes come out of the road. It's the drivers responsibility to not damage the tunnel or bridge. Better to damage some cheap tires on a truck than the tunnel.
Eventually the tunnels will have "soft walls" which send large trucks a remote-braking command if collision seems likely... and the trucks themselves collision-avoidance radar. And soon after that all the trucks will be self-driving.
It was cool seeing it in action (I wonder who thought of it, and got passed the bureaucracy to make it happen). I wonder whether they considered industry standard truck height when building that tunnel.
Overheight vehicles are 4.3m and over in New South Wales, and this tunnel is signposted at 4.4m (and probably has a bit of leeway).
Trucker often have to deal with road limits: they are expected to know the size of their vehicle and pick an appropriate route. And if they don't, they are expected to read the signs along the route that indicate road limits ahead.
This is a very innovative idea. I have seen those water displays shown in the malls for fun. This is a very cool application of a fun technique to save lives and property damages.
This is the same problem as getting pilots to not land on aircraft carriers with their landing gear up. I've heard they station a guy with a flare gun as a final notification, but sometimes the pilot lands anyhow.
This idea could be used on an aircraft carrier, if the water was sprayed up from below.
I think it would be interesting to try a projection of a scary face, or even a non-scary face, or a video of a crowd of people.
> As for that water sign ... why don't they put it further back and have a way for offending vehicles to exit in front of it? Am I missing something?
The projected-onto-water sign relies, for visibility, on the fact that is in front of a tunnel that is dark (hence why the lights near the entrance shut down when it activates), so it wouldn't work farther back; it also makes the road wet and incrementally more dangerous for all drivers, which is why it makes sense for the more normal insistent flashing signs, etc., to be placed farther back and the water sign to be a last resort even before considering visibility issues.
[+] [-] fab13n|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] twistedpair|13 years ago|reply
In Boston a few months ago a coach bus had the top ripped off going under a 10ft bridge on a road that truck/bus traffic is banned from. The driver hit several low bars and signs and plowed onward until the bridge cut the top off. Several times a year this happens on Storrow Drive, despite all the warning devices as some drivers just can't be reached.
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/02/...
[+] [-] Osmium|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] evan_|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] YellowRex|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] fr0sty|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] acqq|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] otoburb|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] webmonkeyuk|13 years ago|reply
These will make a fair mess of a vehicle, I saw them hitting a lorry once but are pretty attention grabbing.
The Blackwall Tunnel has different heights and widths for different lanes due to the tunnel profile which is why the restrictions are different in each lane in this photo.
[+] [-] ghjm|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] noisysocks|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] exit|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Devilboy|13 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] bluedevil2k|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Smerity|13 years ago|reply
You really want to have the water screen projection, which douses the road with water, as the last line of defence. Water on the road is likely to make it far more difficult to stop a large truck like that. Having it earlier could actually be detrimental to their stopping ability[1].
We're also assuming the unexpected water doesn't cause additional accidents from all the other vehicles. A wall of water could provoke some quite irrational reactions. I drive that road on a fairly common basis and even a small accident there could well result in an expensive pile-up.
[1]: Conjecture
[+] [-] mootothemax|13 years ago|reply
I thought the stop sign was only visible because of the dark background (i.e. moderately lit tunnel) behind it?
My first thought was similar - it needs to be seen sooner - but I presume that even some braking before slamming into concrete is better than none.
[+] [-] sgift|13 years ago|reply
Obviously, this only works because there is enough time after the last exit to block the tunnel before the truck reaches it.
[+] [-] ChuckMcM|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Devilboy|13 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] speeder|13 years ago|reply
I made a arcade game once: www.abril.com.br/blog/campus-party/2011/01/19/fanatico-por-jogos-leva-seu-proprio-fliperama-para-a-arena/
It has instructions printed on the sides of the screen... It was VERY, VERY, VERY common to someone ask people around them what a button do (sometimes to even random passerby people, or for example a couple arrived at the machine, and the guy would start to play and ask stuff to his girlfriend), and then the asked either looked confused, or pointed to the instructions, and the people asking would behave surprised, confused and shamed.
Why people ignored the instructions and asked for example their girlfriends, random people and so on instead?
Why people see a huge sign blocking the way to a ATM saying it is out of order, they remove the sign from the way and attempt to use it anyway?
[+] [-] jere|13 years ago|reply
http://gizmodo.com/5955244/watch-this-bridge-destroying-doze...
[+] [-] VLM|13 years ago|reply
Unfortunately they are way too common. Did you know there's wild animals living outdoors and they cross roads? 75 miles away a divorced family is having a custody dispute so here's abduction alert #243 for the year as a punishment from one parent to the other? There's a terrorist hiding behind every tree stump? Next month some roadwork is planned although nothing so far has been done other than put up the warning sign and barrels and collect higher traffic ticket fees? Six months ago a long term road work lane closure happened so everyday commuters now completely ignore a giant bright flashing warning that lanes have changed? The bright flashing overhead sign reports that 30 miles away where you aren't even going, there is a traffic jam? This is before I even get started on the billboard advertisements designed to distract you from driving.
If everything's an emergency, then nothing is an emergency. Including, unfortunately, bridge height.
[+] [-] Kluny|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sa5|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ck2|13 years ago|reply
When they hit it, they will definitely stop, and replacing the sign is a fraction of the cost of the water sign, which they can drive through anyway.
[+] [-] eric_the_read|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] didsomeonesay|13 years ago|reply
(edit: actual image url instead of article)
[+] [-] to3m|13 years ago|reply
(Blackwall Tunnel, northbound, London)
And again, just in case you missed the scraping sounds the first time: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=blackwall+tunnel&hl=en&...
(For some reason they don't appear to have anything similar going south...)
[+] [-] crymer11|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dagw|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] olefoo|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] NDizzle|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tibbon|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bernardom|13 years ago|reply
But that doesn't stop everyone: http://bit.ly/10LXX53 http://bit.ly/10FmQLa
[+] [-] alan_cx|13 years ago|reply
The sign is telling them that later down the road they will absolutely get in to problems, and get literally stuck. No one would continue with that certainty of getting stuck or in trouble. On top of that, it cant be repeat offenders either. Some one who has been there before must have gotten caught out, one way or another. Its not like drivers on small roads who see a 6ft width restriction sign, but know through local knowledge that really you can squeeze 7ft wide car through the lane.
What we have is drivers who do not know the road, and in their minds don't think the big huge warning signs are meant for them. In their heads they think it for a another driver on the road in close proximity, even if there is no sign of one.
The problem with road signs is making it known to specific individuals that the message is absolutely for them. The brilliant last resort sign absolutely makes it clear who the message is for.
So the key is to some how make driver know that the message is actually for them specifically.
[+] [-] jevinskie|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] josh_fyi|13 years ago|reply
Next, if that's ignored, a plywood barricade hanging down: Better some splintered plywood than a jammed tunnel.
[+] [-] ctdonath|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ricardobeat|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Supermighty|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gojomo|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] joyeuse6701|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] smackfu|13 years ago|reply
Trucker often have to deal with road limits: they are expected to know the size of their vehicle and pick an appropriate route. And if they don't, they are expected to read the signs along the route that indicate road limits ahead.
[+] [-] kamjam|13 years ago|reply
They may well have these in many other places of course, I thought it was dead cool.
[+] [-] mherdeg|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ww520|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] marze|13 years ago|reply
This idea could be used on an aircraft carrier, if the water was sprayed up from below.
I think it would be interesting to try a projection of a scary face, or even a non-scary face, or a video of a crowd of people.
[+] [-] jonchang|13 years ago|reply
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3c0_1351184890
[+] [-] EGreg|13 years ago|reply
As for that water sign ... why don't they put it further back and have a way for offending vehicles to exit in front of it? Am I missing something?
[+] [-] dragonwriter|13 years ago|reply
The projected-onto-water sign relies, for visibility, on the fact that is in front of a tunnel that is dark (hence why the lights near the entrance shut down when it activates), so it wouldn't work farther back; it also makes the road wet and incrementally more dangerous for all drivers, which is why it makes sense for the more normal insistent flashing signs, etc., to be placed farther back and the water sign to be a last resort even before considering visibility issues.