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Every now and then drivers of high vehicles take a wrong turn and smash into
low overhead bridges. In 1994, three people died when this happened to a
double-decker bus in Glasgow. Now four inventors from Cheshire have patented a
system designed to avoid such accidents (GB 2 323 954). Based on the low-cost
navigation systems designed for cars, it combines a dashboard computer with
satellite positioning to check a vehicle’s location against maps that show the
clearance under bridges. Once the vehicle’s height has been entered, the
computer checks for dangerously low bridges on the road ahead. If it finds one
it sounds an alarm, and automatically applies the brakes if necessary.