Coroner calls for law on truck mirrors

A coroner has repeated her plea to government agencies to make it compulsory for all heavy goods vehicles to have specified safety mirrors fitted so as to prevent accidents with cyclists and pedestrians.

Since 1996, 21 people have died as a direct result of vehicles not having cyclops C5 and C6 mirrors attached to trucks to address a “blind spot phenomenon” whereby the driver cannot see inside a short distance in front vehicles.

The inquest into the death of James Kelliher, 71, of Cahill’s Park, Tralee, Co Kerry, heard how the deceased had stepped from the left hand footpath at the junction of Chapel Street and Strand Road, in Tralee town, at exactly the same time as an articulated truck moved from a stationary position.

Brendan O’Brien, of Ballyduff, Co Kerry, the driver of the 1994 truck with a 45ft trailer, could not have seen Mr Kelliher who had entered what is known as ‘the 4ft blind spot’ directly in front of the truck, the inquest was told.

Witnesses told of seeing the accident, as the lorry edged out slowly and tipped off the man’s shoulder.

Mr O’Brien said he was stopped in traffic, looked out for pedestrians and saw no-one. He then pulled out slowly. He remembered hearing a thud and stopped immediately. When he got out, he saw the body of a man underneath the trailer.

“To this day I can’t believe what happened, or where the man had come from,” he said. A truck driver with decades of experience and the holder of a clean licence, Mr O’Brien said he went into shock and had to be taken to hospital.

Cross examined by Stephen O’Halloran, counsel for the next-of-kin, he accepted the truck did not have the cyclops mirrors and agreed if they had been fitted, he would have been able to see what was happening in front of the lorry.

Garda Superintendent James O’Connor, Tralee, who attended the scene on Sept 5, 2011, said it was one of the most disturbing accidents he had come across in his 34 years in the force.

Coroner Helen Lucey, extending sympathy to the family of the deceased and to the driver, said she had made a similar recommendation, some years ago.

“This was a terrible tragedy and a terrible accident for the family and for the driver. It was also terrible for the people who came on the scene and it shouldn’t have happened. I feel very strongly about this,” Ms Lucey said.

“Hopefully, the Government departments would see fit to bring forward the necessary legislation on mirrors, which should apply to all heavy goods vehicles, irrespective of age,” she said.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster, said death was due to severe crushing and injuries associated with a road traffic collision and that death was immediate.

Garda Jim O’Brien, public service vehicle inspector, said since 2006 it was compulsory for all new vehicles to have the mirrors fitted.

Older vehicles are being fitted since 2011, but only on a phased basis and it could be years before lorries registered in 1994 were obliged to have the mirrors.