When it comes to vehicles crashing into low bridges, a state lawmaker wants to take the high road. 

A proposal approved this week in the state Assembly would require New York transportation officials to report on the locations of bridge collisions, repairs performed after the crashes and provide recommendations on how to prevent future incidents. 

The measure is meant to address a scourge of bridge-vehicle crashes, often involving large trucks colliding with older, low-hanging bridges. 

“Far too often, we are seeing large trucks are colliding with low bridges in towns like Rotterdam and Glenville, causing significant damage,” said Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara. “Here in Schenectady County, unfortunately, it’s an issue that many local residents and commuters are very familiar with in their daily lives.”

Santabarbara, a civil engineer, wants to use the information gathered by the state Department of Transportation to improve road safety across the state. 

One bridge in the lawmaker's district has been hit nearly 100 times since it was built. Altogether, the bridge has been hit 22 times in 2021 and 12 more times last year. 

“Increased knowledge and awareness of the number of collisions is important to understand the reasons why these collisions occur,” Santabarbara said. “This bill will provide  relevant data to help us find solutions.”