Accident leads to fine
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• Cumbrian lorry driver David Shepherd has been ordered to pay £1,050 in fines and costs by Manchester City magistrates, for driving without due care and attention and for drivers' hours and tachograph offences, following an ac cident involving a child cyclist.
Shepherd, of Cleator Moor, denied driving without due care and attention but was convicted.
He admitted failing to return tachograph charts within 21 days, failing to use the mode switch on his tachograph, using a tachograph chart for more than 24 hours, failing to take 45 minutes rest after 41/2 hours driving, taking insufficient daily rest, and taking insufficient weekly rest, Shepherd was fined a total of £800, ordered to pay £250 prosecution costs and had his driving licence endorsed with six penalty points. The magistrates made no order of disqualification.
Bernard Crib bin, prosecuting, said that last September Shepherd had set off from traffic lights, turned left and collided with a 13-yearold boy on a bicycle, who was dragged under the vehicle. The boy broke both elbows, and injured his knee.
Shepherd said that there was a blind spot on the passenger side of the cab. Until the accident happened he had not known that the cyclist was there. He denied suggestions that he had not indicated the left turn.
Cribbin said that if Shepherd had waited an extra few seconds at the lights the boy would have come into his vision. That would have ensured that the blind spot was covered. The obligation to see a cyclist was on Shepherd when executing a left turn.
Defending, John Heaton said that it would have been more sensible for the boy to have remained behind the lorry. A prudent driver would have other things to look at as well as the nearside of the vehicle.
The magistrates fined Shepherd £100 for driving without due care and attention and 2.50 on each of the 14 drivers' hours and tachograph offences.