The use of truck weight restriction barriers is becoming increasingly common on roads, especially dyke roads, to protect infrastructure and ensure traffic safety. However, the installation of these barriers has also caused much controversy and inconvenience. This article will analyze the benefits and issues to consider when using truck weight limit barriers.
Benefits of Truck Weight Restriction Barriers
Truck weight restriction barriers are designed to prevent vehicles exceeding the allowable weight from traveling on a specific road. This offers several benefits:
- Protecting Infrastructure: Limiting overloaded vehicles reduces stress on road surfaces, bridges, and culverts, thereby extending the lifespan of infrastructure and reducing maintenance and repair costs.
- Enhancing Traffic Safety: Overloaded vehicles are often difficult to control and prone to accidents, especially on narrow or complex terrain roads. Barriers help prevent these vehicles, contributing to the safety of road users.
- Extending Vehicle Lifespan: Traveling on roads with appropriate weight limits reduces vehicle damage, saving on maintenance costs.
Issues to Consider When Using Truck Weight Restriction Barriers
Although they offer many benefits, the installation of truck weight restriction barriers also needs careful consideration to avoid inconveniences:
- Barrier Height: The barrier height needs to be calculated reasonably, appropriate to the allowable weight of the road. Installing barriers too low can hinder legitimate vehicles, while barriers too high are ineffective at stopping overloaded vehicles. A typical example is on the Huu Hong dyke, where a 2.4m high barrier has caused difficulties for vehicles with a weight of 1.2 tons. Even 3-ton and 6.9-ton vehicles could not pass.
- Installation Location: A thorough survey is needed to select a reasonable barrier location, ensuring it does not obstruct traffic and facilitates vehicle weight control.
- Signage: Clear signs about weight and height limits should be posted before the barrier installation location so drivers are aware and can proactively adjust their route. In the case of the Huu Hong dyke, although there were signs allowing 12-ton vehicles, the barrier restricted height, resulting in legitimate vehicles still unable to pass.
- Monitoring and Enforcement: Measures are needed to monitor and strictly handle violations, deliberately crossing the barrier, or carrying excess weight. The lack of a weighing station on the road with the barrier also makes it difficult to control weight.
Conclusion
Truck weight restriction barriers are a useful solution for protecting transport infrastructure and improving safety. However, installation and operation must be carried out scientifically and reasonably, avoiding inconvenience to road users and transport businesses. Close coordination between authorities, businesses, and people is needed to ensure the effectiveness of using these barriers. Careful consideration of regulations on vehicle weight according to Circular 54/2013/TT-BNNPTNT and Circular 46/2015/TT-BGTVT is necessary to ensure the installation of truck weight restriction barriers complies with legal regulations.
