Over the past year, numerous large vehicles have collided with bridges, causing days’ worth of delays.

Network Rail has released new statistics on total bridge strikes, revealing that there were 1,666 incidents, equating to one every five hours, costing millions.

They have launched a “Wise Up, Size Up” campaign following incidents at the Abergavenny Road bridge, which they are urging people to remember, especially during the Christmas delivery period.

They also revealed that the bridge with the most incidents was Watling Street A5 in Hinckley, having been struck 22 times.

In the last year, these strikes have caused 120 days (186,384 minutes) of delays to the public in total. In response, Network Rail has partnered up with BES Group to trial new technology thanks to £50,000 funding.

They will trial a remote monitoring system at Harlaxton Road bridge in Grantham, which is the second most struck bridge with 18 incidents this year.

With cameras and impact-sensing technology, they can generate real-time alerts with video footage, enabling engineers to assess bridge damage much sooner.

The trial will last for 3 months and will hopefully reduce delays.

“Bridge strikes can cause hours of disruption and pose serious safety risks. We understand how frustrating these delays are for road users, which is why we work alongside other transport authorities through the Bridge Strike Prevention Group to reduce the number of incidents.

“Two-thirds of strikes on our bridges involve vehicles carrying loads on open trailers. To help prevent them, we urge drivers to take three simple steps: know your vehicle height, plan your route and make sure your load is secure.”

Hideo Takano, senior structures advisor at National Highways