Can I Drive Over A Channel Drain?

This is a question people frequently ask when wanting to know about channel drains, and the short answer is…maybe.

Whether you can drive over a channel drain depends on the material it is constructed from, but more importantly the load rating. The load rating of a channel drain is a classification that denotes whether a specific load can be safety positioned on top of the channel drain.

Load ratings will differ between materials such as PVC, steel and ductile iron commonly used to create channel drains, and if you’re not sure which load rating you need, take a look at our guide here. We also have all of our driveway channel drains in one section, so any drainage channel from that section will be suitable for driveway use and therefore driving over with a domestic vehicle.

If you’re only driving a domestic car over your channel drain, you won’t need as high a load rating, but it’s important to consider that although the average weight of a car isn't likely to be any more than 1.5 tonnes, the reality is the force exerted through the wheels when the car is turning can often be 3 or 4 times the static weight of the car, so you may need to be extra cautious or choose the next load rating up in this instance. You should also choose a higher load rating if the channel drain is to be installed in a busier area, or if you own a van/lorry as opposed to a standard car.

So long as you’ve chosen a channel drain with the correct load rating for your vehicle’s weight, and are sure that there are no safety concerns that could emerge, then yes, it is perfectly safe to drive over a channel drain.