What is the height limit on highways?
2 Answers
According to the "Regulations on the Management of Over-Limit Transport Vehicles on Highways" by the Ministry of Transport, the height limit on highways is 4 meters from the ground for the total height of the vehicle and cargo. Over-limit transport vehicles: Vehicles with a total height exceeding 4 meters from the ground; total width exceeding 2.55 meters; total length exceeding 18.1 meters; two-axle trucks with a total mass exceeding 18,000 kg; three-axle trucks with a total mass exceeding 25,000 kg; three-axle articulated vehicles with a total mass exceeding 27,000 kg; four-axle trucks with a total mass exceeding 31,000 kg; four-axle articulated vehicles with a total mass exceeding 36,000 kg; five-axle articulated vehicles with a total mass exceeding 43,000 kg, etc. Purpose of height limits: The primary goal is to protect bridges and tunnels, while also serving as a warning to passing vehicles.
On highways, most of those height restriction bars I see are set at 4 meters or 4.5 meters, so regular car drivers don't need to worry about them. Last time I drove my friend's modified RV, I almost got into trouble—the GPS didn't warn about the height limit, and at the ramp entrance, I suddenly saw a 3.8-meter bar. I slammed on the brakes, and the rearview mirror missed the bar by just a soda can's distance—it gave me a cold sweat. Now I've learned my lesson: whenever I drive a high-roof vehicle, I always check the route's height restrictions. Installing a height limit query app on my phone has been really helpful. Actually, oversized vehicles really shouldn't try to force their way through. Last year, there was news about a flatbed truck carrying an excavator that crashed into a height restriction barrier, causing a five-hour traffic jam on the highway. The cost to repair the barrier was enough to buy a sedan.
