(B)ring those cowbells again

Back in April, I related the story of the cowbells on Boston's river roads that are used to signal truckers that their rigs are too high for the underpasses. The theme is revived in a story by Michael Levenson in today's Boston Globe.

But note this contrary view:

But some specialists said the use of cowbells could be dangerous.

"I don't like it at all," said Thomas Hicks, director of the office of traffic and safety at the Maryland Department of Transportation who serves on a national panel of highway engineers. "It might fly off and run into somebody's windshield and a cowbell is usually pretty substantial steel."

There is not an iota of evidence from the past 20+ years that the cowbells are dangerous. Instead, there are 20+ years of experience that the bells and signs together reduced the danger of trucks crashing into overpasses. You want "substantial steel"? Try a multi-ton steel truck smashing into a steel overpass. That's substantial steel.

Dear Commissioner of DCR, please just put back and maintain what is proven to work.