Ruling may speed up law on seat belts for truck drivers

A CORONER’S court ruling yesterday may force the Government to accelerate new laws forcing all truck drivers to wear seat belts.

The Department of Transport confirmed the Government will use Ireland’s presidency of the EU next year to push for the implementation of new directives on hauliers.

Currently, vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are not equipped with seat belts.

A jury at an inquest in Clonmel yesterday recommended that the drivers of all commercial vehicles should have to wear seatbelts.

Welsh-born Noel Wilburn, 22, working for a Cork haulage company, died near Cashel on May 1 last year when he lost control of his truck on a bend on the main Dublin to Cork road.

Meanwhile, three further accidents this week brought this year’s road death total to 308.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to an accident early yesterday near Tallaght in Dublin in which a passenger, Niamh Henderson, 23, from Health View Avenue, Aylesbury, died.

No other vehicle was involved in the crash, which occurred around midnight on the Blessington Road.

Gardaí are particularly interested in talking to a woman driving a people carrier who may have stopped at the scene.

A young man died in the early hours of the morning after a car crash in Co Waterford.

The single-vehicle crash happened at 12.20am at Mountcongreve near Kilmeaden.

Liam O’Donnell, 21, from Heath Field Drive, Grantstown, Co Waterford, died when his car went out of control and hit a wall.

In Co Mayo, gardaí are seeking witnesses to a fatal weekend collision at Barnakillew, Ballintubber in Partry. One of the drivers, Phyllis Hollinworth, 65, died following Saturday’s crash.

Major disruption was caused to the main Dublin-Belfast motorway and rush-hour traffic yesterday evening after an empty oil tanker went on fire between Balbriggan and Gormanstown.

Considerable numbers of gardaí and fire brigade crews were dispatched after it was initially believed that the tanker was carrying a consignment of oil.

However, the north-bound dry bulk vehicle was not ferrying any flammable liquid.

Gardaí from Drogheda and Balbriggan were at the scene and confirmed that no one was injured.

The accident happened shortly after 4pm and fire personnel from Balbriggan, Drogheda and Dublin attended the scene.

The tanker had been heading northwards and gardaí, under the direction of Inspector Gerry O’Brien diverted northbound traffic off the motorway and through Balbriggan town resulting in considerable delays.

Southbound traffic was not affected.