Inquest raises suzie question
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by Guy Sheppard
• The Government's plan to make the retro-fitting of self-sealing valves to each air line on trailer couplings compulsory has received fresh impetus after a woman was killed in an accident involving an artic.
An inquest heard that the brakes of the trailer were totally inoperative because they lacked a fitting, costing just 75p, that would have made them compatible with the tractor unit.
Legislation to make the fitting of such devices mandatory is expected in the summer (CM 22 Dec 1994).
Julie Ann Archer was killed last November when the fully loaded truck came down a slip road on the M1 and collided with her car in stationary traffic. South Yorkshire coroner Christopher Dorries issued a verdict of unlawful killing.
The Iveco Ford tractor unit was driven by Gary Simons of Hull-based Bill Draper Haulage. He said he was unaware the trailer's brakes were not working even though he had driven it from Hull docks.
After the hearing, PC Kevin Rich of South York Police's accident investigation branch, said all the brake couplings on new vehicles have had to be automatic or self-sealing since 1989, but there had never been any legislation to make the fittings on older vehicles compatible.
"The coroner wants to see some form of publicity campaign or legislation to avoid this happening again," he says.
Bill Draper, managing director of the company involved, said the trailer had been picked up on behalf of another company and added he would support any legislation to make the necessary fitting on brake couplings compulsory.
His company, which operates 22 vehicles, is to be prosecuted for using a vehicle with defective brakes.