Cram: tighter on torque
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• Ten people have died and 24 have been seriously injured in the past five years by wheels falling off lorries, it was revealed last week.
Roads and Traffic Minister Peter Bottomley came under fresh pressure in the House of Commons last week to crack down on the problem, with Tory MP James Cram calling for tighter fastening torques for heavy goods vehicle wheels, plus the use of flat nuts instead of coned nuts on truck wheels.
Bottomley told him: "Since the beginning of 1983 there have been 130 wheel detachments reported to the Vehicle Inspectorate resulting in 10 fatalities and 24 serious injuries."
He added that wheel security on commercial vehicles has been the subject of recent research, by the Motor Industry Research Association, sponsored by the IRTE and DTI.