State Police 'Check Your Height, Know It’s Right' Campaign Leads To Over 1,000 Citations

NEW YORK — You don't have to look very hard to find a remainder of the dangers of not paying attention to height restrictions on the New York State Thruway, but if state police have anything to say about it those reminders will be much less frequent.

New York State Police Troop T participated in the “Check Your Height, Know It’s Right” campaign at the end of July along the New York State Thruway. The initiative’s goal is to reduce bridge and overpass strikes involving commercial motor vehicles through education and targeted enforcement, according to NYSP.

During the initiative, Troop T’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit conducted details throughout the state, with 348 commercial vehicle inspections. Of those, 126 vehicles were immediately taken out of service for safety-related violations.

A total of 966 violations were issued, including five for over-height vehicles, with 189 traffic tickets for speeding, lack of seatbelt/restraints, cell phone use, registration and license issues.

See Also: Over-Height Mack Truck Strikes I-87 Bridge, Overturns Before Slamming Into Toyota: NYSP

Over the last five years, more than 375 bridge strikes were recorded on the NYS Thruway system, and just this week, bridge hits on the NYS Thruway due to over-height commercial vehicles in New York underscore the importance of drivers knowing their vehicle height and planning routes that avoid low-clearance structures, NYSP said.

The maximum legal vehicle height on the Thruway is 13'6". If a vehicle is taller, a permit is required.