Preventing Bridge Strikes Across New York

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a growing, coordinated public awareness and enforcement campaign to prevent bridge strikes by commercial vehicles and large trucks across New York State. In November 2023, the State Department of Transportation launched the “Check Your Height, Know It’s Right!” social media and video campaign to educate the public about the importance of preventing bridge strikes. Since then, the Department has worked with The Eastern Transportation Coalition (TETC) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to encourage other states to adopt the campaign. To date, 26 states including New York, plus Washington, D.C. have joined this campaign, up from 16 states last year. This year’s campaign runs from Monday, July 27 to Friday, July 31 and aims to educate drivers about their responsibility in preventing bridge strikes. In addition, drivers are reminded that in February New York took a significant step toward mitigating bridge strikes by instituting an 8-point violation for striking a bridge.

“Bridge strikes are 100 percent preventable, and everyone plays a critical role in preventing these strikes from happening,” Governor Hochul said. “It takes a combination of education, enforcement, and public awareness to stop bridge strikes from occurring, so I encourage everyone using an overheight vehicle to ‘Check Your Height, Know It’s Right!’ before hitting the road and, if you are driving a truck, make sure that you’re utilizing commercial GPS.”

Truck operators should use commercial-grade GPS devices and applications for navigating along New York’s roads since consumer-grade GPS and cell phone mapping applications do not necessarily take low-clearance bridges and overpasses into account when calculating travel directions. The New York State 511NY website includes “Trucker Mode,” which identifies the location of height- and weight-restricted bridges and highlights restricted routes, such as the parkways, and all commercial vehicle operators are encouraged to use “Trucker Mode” to verify their route ahead of time. Additionally, when driving rented box trucks, such as moving trucks, drivers must be especially aware of their vehicle’s height and obey all warning signs since many drivers are not accustomed to operating a larger vehicle.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Governor Hochul is laser focused on public safety and the New York State Department of Transportation’s number one priority is the safety of the travelling public – including doing all we can to prevent bridge strikes across the Empire State. Transportation Departments and highway safety offices nationwide have adopted the seat belt safety campaign, “Click It or Ticket” in their messaging, and that messaging has resonated with the traveling public for many years now. The “Check Your Height, Know It’s Right!” campaign is expanding nationwide and continues to gain momentum with states from Maine to Hawaii joining the effort and we are hopeful soon that this campaign, which originated in New York, will be adopted nationwide.”

In 2025, there were 310 reported bridge strikes in New York State, usually involving commercial and large truck operators who failed to know or recognize their vehicle’s height or ignored warning signs. It is the operator’s responsibility to know the height of their vehicle, adhere to roadway restrictions and limitations, and obey low-clearance warning signs.

As part of this week’s campaign, State Troopers will focus active patrols in key areas across the state where there have been documented bridge strikes by large commercial vehicles. Variable Message Signs throughout the state will be displaying “Check Your Height, Know It’s Right” messaging throughout the campaign.

Bridge strikes are most likely to occur on roadways with low-clearance railroad bridges, and on New York State Parkways predominantly in the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island. The NYS Parkway system contains numerous low-clearance stone arch bridges that cannot accommodate commercial traffic. For that reason, commercial trucks are banned from driving on the parkways. While NYSDOT promptly inspects all reported bridge strikes to ensure structural integrity, such strikes cause extensive damage to the vehicle and can lead to secondary collisions due to unexpected traffic congestion and subsequent emergency repairs.

The safety of the traveling public and all those who work in the right-of-way is of paramount importance, and bridge strikes place first responders and emergency personnel at risk when responding to these preventable incidents. The “Check Your Height, Know It’s Right!” campaign is a step toward promoting safety by raising awareness of the bridge strike issue and highlights the critical role that drivers play.

To date, the following states (plus Washington, D.C) have adopted the “Check Your Height, Know It’s Right!” campaign:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Connecticut
• Washington, D.C.
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Vermont
• Virginia
• West Virginia

New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “We are proud to partner with our state agency colleagues to reduce bridge strikes across New York. These incidents pose a significant safety risk to truck drivers and the traveling public, can result in serious injuries, cause extensive damage to critical infrastructure and lead to costly repairs and prolonged traffic disruptions. Coordinated enforcement and public education initiatives like this play a vital role in increasing awareness, promoting compliance and enhancing roadway safety. I thank the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the Department of Transportation for their continued partnership and shared commitment to educating commercial vehicle operators on safely navigating New York’s roadways and bridges.”

New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Acting Commissioner Christian Jackstadt said, “This is such an important message as more commercial vehicles travel New York’s roads delivering goods and keeping our economy moving. DMV implemented regulatory changes earlier this year to toughen penalties for bridge strikes and other Vehicle & Traffic Law violations and help keep dangerous and reckless drivers off the road. We are pleased to collaborate with DOT and our other traffic safety partners to remind commercial drivers to know the limitations of their vehicles and that it only takes a few minutes to “Check Your Height” and “Know It’s Right” to prevent significant damage to bridges, vehicles and other drivers.”

New York State Bridge Authority Executive Director Dr. Minosca Alcantara said, “The Bridge Authority joins the Governor, the Department of Transportation, and our partners across the state in urging commercial vehicle operators to know their vehicle's height before hitting the road. Just as oversized loads require careful planning for the safe transport of goods, overheight commercial vehicles must plan their routes to avoid low bridges and overpasses. Taking a few moments to plan ahead helps protect our state's transportation infrastructure, enhances roadway safety and ensures a smoother trip for everyone who shares the road.”

Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “Bridge strikes on the Thruway are a safety issue—and entirely preventable. The law requires drivers to know the height of their vehicle and follow the rules of the road and commercial truck operators should be vigilant when planning routes to mitigate bridge strikes. The Thruway Authority takes this issue seriously and we thank Governor Hochul, our transportation partners and New York State Police for raising awareness with this campaign and taking action to ensure the safety of our roads.”

Trucking Association of New York Vice President of Government Affairs Zach Miller said, "Professional truck drivers are among the safest motorists on our roads, and safety begins long before a vehicle leaves the yard. Knowing your vehicle's height, planning a safe route, and using commercial-grade navigation tools are simple but essential steps in preventing bridge strikes and protecting all road users and critical infrastructure. The Trucking Association of New York (TANY) and our members are proud to support initiatives like "Check Your Height, Know It's Right!" that promote awareness, personal responsibility, and a culture of safety throughout the trucking industry."

About the Department of Transportation

It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State.

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