Truckers rammed overpasses 11,000 times in 2014

Truck drivers attempted driving a too high vehicle through a low tunnel almost 11 thousand times last year. This had many closures and traffic jams as a result. According to the AD, the traffic jams caused around rush hours costs society and estimated 135 thousand euros per tunnel closure. Truck drivers by and large ignore the warnings they get when approaching a tunnel. This results in a tunnel being closed to all road users several times a day. According to figures from Rijkswaterstaat, it involves about 30 height calls per day, after which tunnels often close automatically. According to the AD, truck drivers who ignore the warnings are caught and held liable for the damage once or twice per month. The damage to the tunnel amounts to an average of 22 thousand euros, but may reach up to 40 thousand euros, according to Rijkswaterstaat. The amount of time a tunnel stays closed depends on the extent of the damage caused by the truck. The tunnel closures cause congestion, which leads to longer travel time and inconvenience to all road users. "One closure costs road users tens of thousands of euros", explains Bert van Wee, Professor of Transport Policy at TU Delft. He is supported by Maaike Snelder of TNO, the AD reports. "With closures just before or at the beginning of rush hour the social costs can amount to 135 thousand euros."