The Low Bridge Map Built for Lorry, HGV & Motorhome Drivers
In Britain a vehicle strikes a railway bridge roughly every five hours. Low Clearance Map plots the low bridges and low arches in your path, with heights in metres and feet, so lorries, HGVs, motorhomes and tall vans can plan safe routes, avoid costly bridge strikes, and navigate turn-by-turn with HeadRoom, or send directions straight to Google Maps or Apple Maps.
Validated against Network Rail and National Highways records, computer-vision pipelines, and driver feedback. See live data stats · Commercial access
Plan Safe Routes Around Low Bridges and Railway Arches
Avoid bridge strikes
Lorry & HGV Route Planning That Knows Your Height
A single bridge strike can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds in damage and delays, plus a DVSA investigation and a Traffic Commissioner referral. Plan around 2,749 verified UK low bridges and railway arches before you ever leave the depot.
Cut fuel and detour costs
Stop Burning Hours on Wrong-Way Detours
Every unplanned detour around a low bridge burns fuel, eats into your drivers' hours, and frustrates the transport office. We route you around low arches the first time, so you never have to reverse a 44-tonne artic out of one.
Drive without second-guessing
Verified Clearances, Not Crowdsourced Guesses
Our database is validated against Network Rail and National Highways records, computer vision, and driver feedback. Directional Hazard Headings suppress false warnings when you're on the safe side of an arch.
Built for first-timers too
Safer Trips for Motorhomes, Hire Vans, and New Drivers
If you've just hired a Luton van or picked up your first motorhome, you don't know which railway arch will take your roof off. We do. Enter your height in metres or feet, and get a route built around it.
Most Bridge Strikes Start With a Driver Who Didn't Know the Height
Network Rail research found that around 43% of lorry drivers don't know the height of their vehicle, and 52% don't take low bridges into account when planning a route. That's exactly the gap Low Clearance Map closes, before you ever reach the arch.
Network Rail's “Wise Up, Size Up” campaign asks drivers to check their vehicle height and plan routes that avoid low bridges. Low Clearance Map does exactly that, automatically.
Sources: Network Rail, “A bridge is struck every five hours” (2024/25 figures). Read the release.
Most-struck bridge and Harlaxton Road damage figures reported by Network Rail and RailBusinessDaily. Read the article. Figures are updated by Network Rail roughly annually; confirm current numbers before relying on them.
Verified Low-Bridge Coverage Across Britain
Low Clearance Map maintains 2,749 verified low bridges, railway arches and tunnels across the UK, part of a wider dataset of 27,000+ structures spanning the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Every clearance is recorded in metres and feet and inches, the way UK signs show them.
Every entry is validated against records from sources such as Network Rail and National Highways, computer-vision pipelines, and driver-submitted reports. Each location carries a directional Hazard Heading, a feature unique to Low Clearance Map, so alerts only fire when they're relevant to your direction of travel.
Owner-drivers routing a single lorry and transport managers integrating clearance data through our API or Database Portal work from the same dataset we route on every day.
HeadRoom: Voice-Guided Lorry, HGV & Motorhome Navigation That Avoids Low Bridges
Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze have zero bridge clearance awareness. HeadRoom is the in-cab navigation app built on the Low Clearance Map dataset. Voice-guided, height-aware, re-routing in real time around low railway bridges and arches — and now on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
SafeRoute Navigation
Set your vehicle height once. HeadRoom continuously builds a route that fits.
Sentry Mode
Background hazard monitoring even when you're not actively navigating.
Apple CarPlay
Clearance-aware routing and hazard alerts on your vehicle's built-in display.
Android Auto
The same clearance-aware routing and hazard alerts on your vehicle's built-in display.
Hazard Headings
Directional alerts. No false warnings when you're on the safe side of a bridge.
Auto Reroute
If a low clearance is detected ahead, HeadRoom recalculates instantly.
Real walkthrough of HeadRoom on iOS. See more screenshots.
One subscription. iOS, Android, and the web platform.
How Our Bridge Height Map Works
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Enter Your Route
Add your starting point, destination, and any stops along the way to build a custom lorry, HGV or motorhome route.
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2
Set Vehicle Height
Enter your lorry, HGV, motorhome or van height in metres or feet and inches, so we can route around any railway bridge, arch, tunnel or overpass that's too low to clear.
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3
Scan Against 2,749 Verified UK Low Bridges
We check your path against 2,749 verified UK low bridges and railway arches, part of a 27,000+ structure dataset spanning the UK, US and Canada, and apply Hazard Headings so alerts only fire in your direction of travel.
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4
Send It to Apple Maps or Google Maps
Export your cleared route straight to Apple Maps or Google Maps and drive it with the navigation app you already use. Prefer voice guidance built specifically for tall vehicles? HeadRoom is our companion mobile app for iOS and Android with its own clearance-aware turn-by-turn navigation.
7-day free trial · then $4.99/month (USD) · cancel anytime.
What's Included in Your Subscription
$4.99/month (USD) after a 7-day free trial. Unlimited routing, the full Low Clearance Map dataset, and HeadRoom mobile navigation. Cancel anytime.
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Unlimited Lorry, HGV & Motorhome Routes
Plan as many height-aware routes as you need. No per-trip charges, no monthly route caps, no surprise overages.
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2,749 Verified UK Low Bridges
2,749 verified UK low bridges and railway arches, part of a 27,000+ structure dataset across the UK, US and Canada. Every entry is validated against records from sources such as Network Rail and National Highways, plus driver feedback.
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Hazard Headings (Directional Alerts)
Each clearance carries directional metadata, so you only get warned when you're actually approaching the affected side of a bridge or tunnel. Fewer false alarms, better routing.
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On-Route & Adjacent-Structure Detection
We surface low bridges and arches both on your route and immediately alongside it. That matters for parking, staging, and last-mile manoeuvres other tools miss.
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HeadRoom Mobile App Included
One subscription unlocks both the web platform and HeadRoom on iOS and Android, with voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation and Sentry Mode hazard monitoring.
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Apple Maps & Google Maps Handoff
Prefer to drive in Apple Maps or Google Maps? Send your cleared route over with one tap and use the navigation app you're already used to.
Built for Every Tall Vehicle on the Road
Owner-drivers, transport managers, and first-time motorhome and Luton van hirers. If your vehicle is taller than a car, the next railway arch is a question worth asking.
Owner-Drivers & HGV Operators
Articulated lorry (artic) and rigid HGV routing that respects your vehicle height. Trunking, multidrop, and last-mile.
Motorhome, Campervan & Caravan
Coachbuilt and A-class motorhomes, campervans, and tall twin-axle caravans. Touring and Highland trips without the white-knuckle railway arches.
Luton Vans & Hire Vehicles
Luton vans, box vans, and hire vehicles from Enterprise, Europcar and the rest. Most hire customers have never driven anything taller than a car. We make sure you don't learn the hard way.
Transport Managers & Planners
Standardise clearance-aware routing across your whole fleet via web, mobile, or our API and CSV feeds.
Buses & Coaches
Coach, school, and bus operators routing tall vehicles, commonly 4.0–4.4 m (13′1″–14′5″), through unfamiliar town centres.
Abnormal Loads & Heavy Haulage
STGO and abnormal loads that need verified clearance evidence before escort vehicles roll. We sit alongside your routing engine, not in place of it.
Recovery & Roadside
Recovery operators that need clearance data on the casualty vehicle and the recovery lorry at the same time.
Routing Platforms & Insurers
Integrate the Low Clearance Map dataset directly via API or the Database Portal. Built for route planning, telematics, and insurance underwriting.
The Bridge Clearance Database Behind Every Route
Drop our verified clearance dataset directly into your transport management system, telematics platform, or in-house routing engine. The same 2,749 UK low bridges and railway arches, part of 27,000+ structures across the UK, US and Canada, with the same Hazard Headings, delivered however your stack needs it.
- ✓ REST API with hazard queries by bbox or route
- ✓ Bulk CSV deliveries on a schedule you choose
- ✓ Hazard Heading directional metadata
- ✓ Validation provenance per record
- ✓ SLAs and volume pricing for fleets
- ✓ Sample data on request
Bridge Clearance FAQs
A low bridge is one where there isn’t enough space between the road and a railway bridge, low arch, tunnel or overpass for taller vehicles to pass safely. If your lorry, HGV, motorhome or tall van is higher than the marked clearance, you risk a bridge strike. Always check the height signs, shown in metres and feet and inches, before you drive under. A few extra seconds could save you a lot of trouble.
Our routing system includes accurate height clearances, so you can avoid costly or dangerous low bridges and railway arches. Once your route is ready, you can send directions straight to Google Maps or Apple Maps for easy navigation.
We check our bridge height clearances using public records from sources such as Network Rail and National Highways, computer-vision tools, and feedback from drivers. Every point also has directional info (called Hazard Headings), so you only get alerts that match your direction. This helps cut down on unnecessary road hazard warnings.
We update the map whenever new details come in. This includes newly identified structures, changed bridge height clearances, and improved metadata. If you're a commercial client, you get regular CSV updates or live access through our API, so your system always stays current.
Low Clearance Map is a subscription-based service built to maintain high-quality bridge height clearance information. Individual users can sign up for a monthly plan from $4.99/month (billed in USD) with a 7-day free trial to try it out. The plan includes unlimited lorry, HGV and motorhome routing, plus Google Maps and Apple Maps integration, with no long-term commitment required.
Commercial users can access the full bridge clearance database through API or CSV download, allowing full integration into custom apps, routing platforms, and fleet management tools. This enables in-house generation of road hazard alerts, custom routing engines, and more. Contact us to discuss licensing terms and data delivery formats.
Most bridge height clearance tools don’t include directionality, but Low Clearance Map does. Each Low Clearance bridge includes a Hazard Heading—this tells you which direction the road hazard affects. If you're on the safe side of a bridge or tunnel, you won’t get a false warning. This improves the accuracy of your route, improving routing logic and driver experience.
We cover the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, with 27,000+ verified structures in total, including 2,749 verified low bridges and railway arches across the UK. Each bridge, arch and tunnel is geotagged with its height clearance (in metres and feet and inches), direction info, and relevant metadata to support both individual and enterprise-level routing.