Pensioner's death prompts plea over truck safety

Extra safety mirrors should be made compulsory on all trucks after an 80-year-old pedestrian was run over by a lorry on Dublin’s quays, a jury recommended tonight.

The inquest into the death of William Keating, from Kylemore Road, Ballyfermot in Dublin 10, heard in the past year five pedestrians and cyclists met their deaths in the Dublin north central area after truck drivers failed to see them.

The jury recommended extra safety mirrors and sensors on the front of heavy goods vehicles be made compulsory to deal with the deadly blindspots. The eight members, who passed a verdict of accidental death, said more awareness of the dangers should also be raised among pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

“Unfortunately being based in the north Dublin central division I have seen at least eight of these type of accidents. Five of them in the last year involving blind spots in heavy goods vehicles,” Sgt Brian Cullen, investigating officer, said.

The inquest heard Mr Keating was struck as he crossed Sarsfield Quay between vehicles stopped at the traffic lights at around 5pm on June 1, 2005.

In a statement, Stephen Curtin, another truck driver, said he saw an elderly man step in front of another driver’s 40ft articulated tipper truck just before the lights turned green.

Mr Curtin said: “As he had taken one or one and a half steps the lights went green and traffic started moving. The truck to the right moved off, I didn’t think the elderly man could have made it across.”

Piotr Szczepaniec, the driver of the vehicle involved, said he did not see Mr Keating and only stopped around 20 metres later after he heard horns being blown.

“The man must have walked out in front of my truck and was directly in front of my truck when I moved off at the lights,” Mr Szczepaniec, a Polish national, who was speaking through an interpreter, said.

“There are no mirrors to assist me to see directly in front of my truck. He must have been standing at my blind spot.”

Gda Edward Davin, a road collision investigator, said the driver had all the mandatory side mirrors in place on the trucks.

But he said the driver’s blindspot in front of the vehicle still extended to three ft and there was also a substantial loss of vision towards the front left of the truck.

On the extra front facing mirrors, also known as cyclops mirrors, which could avert the problem at little cost, he said: “There has been a campaign mounted by gardai and the National Safety Council but not everyone has been reached by the campaign.”

As well as placing the extra mirror over the windscreen, Gda Davin also recommending placing a sensor on the front of a vehicle to alert stationary drivers to pedestrians.

He said the safety mirrors were still considered accessories by truck manufacturers.

To the brother, and four sons of Mr Keating in the court, Mr Szczepaniec said: “I would only like to say I am looking in the eyes of the family involved. I promise you I did not see that man, I did not want to harm him. I don’t know if the word sorry will make it any better.”

Mr Keating died in St James’s Hospital, Dublin 8 within two hours of being knocked down, and the pathologist said his death was due to multiple injuries consistent with involvement in a road traffic incident.

Dublin City Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said he was deeply concerned at the number of deaths that have occurred in similar circumstances to Mr Keating.

The coroner said he understood an EU Directive would come into Irish law on January 26, 2007 ensuring all heavy goods vehicles registered from that date have extra mirrors to eliminate the blindspots.

But Dr Farrell said he would write to the Transport Department, Irish Road Haulage Association and other organisations to look for the safety requirements to also be made mandatory on all older vehicles as well.

“We appeal to members of the public – pedestrians and cyclists – to be aware of blindspots in front of these vehicles,” he said, as well as drivers.

“We would exhort the regulatory and licensing authorities to strongly recommend the provisions of the safety items, including mirrors and sensors on these vehicles.”