Bailey bridges were developed as rapidly deployable modular steel bridges, but many have remained in service for decades under traffic and environmental conditions substantially different from those prevailing when they were installed. This review examines the relationship between bridge durability, historical and current truck loading, documented collapse cases, common superstructure failure mechanisms, and maintenance requirements, with evidence from South Asia, Africa, and Ethiopia. The reviewed cases indicate that, despite differences in location and service conditions, in-service Bailey bridge failures exhibit common patterns, including excessive deformation, buckling of critical members, connection failure, structural instability, and progressive superstructure collapse under vehicle loading. Overloading is frequently reported as a direct trigger, while corrosion, ageing, inadequate maintenance, flooding, and scour increase structural vulnerability. In Ethiopia, several old Bailey bridges at different locations experienced in-service collapses during 2024, 2025, and 2026, highlighting the need for systematic assessment of ageing bridges and their current loading demands. The main aim of this review is to identify and characterize common failure mechanisms of in-service Bailey bridges, raise awareness of their structural vulnerabilities, and provide a basis for preliminary investigation of old and potentially unreported Bailey bridges in Ethiopia. Construction-stage failures, such as the launching-related instability reported at the Omo Bridge, represent a separate but important failure category that also requires attention. The review therefore emphasizes condition- and load-based safety assessment through systematic inspection, corrosion and deformation monitoring, truck-load control, structural load rating, and timely strengthening, rehabilitation, or replacement.