Dimlaith:
Just a thought, but, if the FedEx drivers tacho showed a serious infringement would that be grounds for dangerous driving?
I don’t know what the tachograph could show that by itself would justify a charge of dangerous driving
Generally a tachograph record will be used as evidence to back up other ccharges, it will not by itself be used to prove an offence other than offences that fall under the EU or UK domestic drivers regulations.
Was just wondering if infringements such as insufficient daily or weekly rest, driving over 10 hours etc could be grounds for being charged if involved in a crash.
Dimlaith:
Was just wondering if infringements such as insufficient daily or weekly rest, driving over 10 hours etc could be grounds for being charged if involved in a crash.
They’d be a totally different set of charges mate, unless he had (on that journey) gone too long without a break or with insufficient rest then any other infringements would be viewed as not relevant to this particular case. Not saying he wouldn’t be charged with them, just it’d be a separate charge.
Did someone mention the lights on the scania ? My cousin went passed at 05.30 southbound and says the scania did have its lights on ,and thought the mini bus had been shoved under the scania trailer .
xichrisxi:
Trucknet CSI has gone into meltdown on this one.
Isn’t it time to draw a line under this one until the true facts emerge
Doesn’t it go into meltdown every time something like this happens, with pages of speculation from the usual team of experts, look at the link posted for the M62 bus crash, or the Bath tipper crash, even the Glasgow Police helicopter crash where we found out that some of the members of Trucknet not only knew everything about RTA’s, but were also experts in Air Crash Investigations.
And even when the facts emerge, some will still think they know more than those that investigated it and those who were in court day after day listening to the evidence.
Punchy Dan:
Did someone mention the lights on the scania ? My cousin went passed at 05.30 southbound and says the scania did have its lights on ,and thought the mini bus had been shoved under the scania trailer .
For the benefit of those who have declined to read this whole thread, it was reported by a member here that he has the AIM stopped in lane1 on his digicam, as he went up the slip road. So that will show whether the AIM originally had it’s lights on or not.
It would help if people pontificating on here had read the full thread!!!
Dimlaith:
Just a thought, but, if the FedEx drivers tacho showed a serious infringement would that be grounds for dangerous driving?
Depends what you call a serious infringement though. I’ve been disciplined for “taking my first 30 minute break just over six hours into my shift” (having not gone out anywhere until over 5 hours in). WTD offence.
Hardly matches “Insufficient daily rest” or “worked 22 hours on one shift” which are actual life-threatening items - are they not?
The most likely driver to have been driving whilst half asleep,alas is also deceased.
The merger of both infringement/throw the book at fedex driver - would be if he’s had say 4hr 35m since his last 45 break.
Anyone VOSA on here care to comment on which tacho infringements they would personally come down upon like a ton of bricks? - Other than the obvious DD/DR Tiredless/Carelessness ones of course…
AIM driver is remanded in Custody. What’s the current status of Fedex driver? Bailed and now suspended on no pay? Are his company looking after him I wonder, as they would be compelled to in a more unionized firm…?
bestbooties:
I doubt very much our driver,(FedEx), would be guilty of any tacho infringements, FedEx is red hot on this.
Yep.
As he’s from Stoke and FedEx have a hub there - chances are he’d only done a couple of hours on that stint.
Stoke run regular shuttle runs down to Marston Gate, which is off the very next J13 of the southbound M1. It’s quite possible Fedex driver on this occasion started duty around 23:00-Midnight.
Another possibility is that they originally ran down from Parkhouse (Stoke Depot) to Marston gate, where they then get sent out on a ‘B’ run, perhaps up to Leicester, Meridian estate to do a trailer swap, and then back to Marston Gate getting there around 3am just as the traps open for the final dispatch… This RTC happening around 03:15am might even be this run “running a bit late…”
As for Fedex being “red hot” on infringements, I know from experience that drivers are strongly discouraged from taking breaks en-route, including getting carpeted for taking a necessary (ie. legal) break. So… If you pull into a layby to clock off a 45 and you’re not scheduled to take a break, perhaps because you’ve been caught up in a Weedon Traffic jam one night… You get a bollocking! If you’re agency, you might even end up being banned from site!
All in all, I would argue that “Red hot” on compliance might actually represent conflict of interest when it comes to driver and public safety over what all too often seem stupid EU regulations that we should seriously be questioning by this point.
raymundo:
If the Fed Ex truck was in lane 2 how did he push the minibus under the rear of the AIM truck which was in lane 1 ?
We’ll need to wait for the details of the prosecution’s case against the Fed Ex driver before anyone knows for sure what lane he was in before and at the point of impact and the exact circumstances as to how he seemingly collided with the minibus and the stopped AIM vehicle. As it stands no one has a clue except the prosecutor and the Fed Ex driver and possibly his employers.
Winseer:
AIM driver is remanded in Custody. What’s the current status of Fedex driver? Bailed and now suspended on no pay? Are his company looking after him I wonder, as they would be compelled to in a more unionized firm…?
I would be very surprised if his legal representation wasn’t actually working on behalf of Fedex, who I’m fairly confident are self insured.
If anyone close to Mr. Wagstaff are monitoring this tosh on TNUK CSI, then I’d seriously advise him seeking proper, respected & totally independant legal advice well away from anything the firm might be pushing him into.
I have noticed all types of vehicles leaving safety gaps on the motorways , since this has happened, all drivers are on the ball and more aware , thats cars, vans and trucks .
I’m unsure if the mate of the deceased minibus driver quoted as saying ‘…Benny is the perfect driver. He would only use the slow lane or the second lane…’ is doing the poor sap much favour
Happy Keith:
I’m unsure if the mate of the deceased minibus driver quoted as saying ‘…Benny is the perfect driver. He would only use the slow lane or the second lane…’ is doing the poor sap much favour
Yes this is a problem , Benny might have thought he was being perfect driving 52 -54mph in the slow lane , but in effect he would of been at less risk of an accident if he had been going 60mph in the fast lane and overtaking both Aim and Fed Ex.
Why do they do it , to save a few bob in fuel , or lack of confidence in overtaking. ?
Its good now that motorway driving will be part of learning to drive soon.
But until a minimum speed limit is introduced the police should be pulling over the slow drivers to explain the dangers and advise them to have motorway driving lessons ,
They could also explain to the tight ■■■■■■■■ trying to save fuel that for the few quid they might save ,that it is just not worth it .
As they say , you can’t take it with you
toby1234abc:
I have noticed all types of vehicles leaving safety gaps on the motorways , since this has happened, all drivers are on the ball and more aware , thats cars, vans and trucks .
I’m buggered if i have, yesterday was one day i was glad to get back home, if it wasn’t cars desperate to get in front as we approached dual carriageway roundabouts shoving themselves under the front bumper then braking hard to given themselves a braking distance , it was the usual suspects in lightly loaded artics who run down the M1 till the last 200 yards of M25 slip road then put their left indicator cos, amazingly, there’s the M25 turn maybe they moved it, then same twerp carves all the cars up switching lanes bullying their way round the bend onto the west bound side…yes the parcel (and secured mail in this case) schedule’s and method or working do need looking at by the powers that be.
Then there were the lorry overtakers who never had a chance to be flashed in cos the bloody lorry was fully back in at less than a car’s length.
Then just to confirm just how bad things have got in lorry world i stopped for me break at Newport Pagnell n’bound, Jesus wept how do some of these clowns every manage to get in a tight delivery spot without damage?
Not forgetting the Brit regd artic tanker on Monday who was in the outside lane of the really quite narrow M1 roadworks from before Crick turn, when i first saw him, till i lost sight of him past Watford Gap when presumably he finally got past a loaded coach and several artics, and nope wasn’t me there holding him up i was in the inside lane.
I too did wonder if the driving might be a little better at least for a week or so, well at least till all the stains serving as a reminder on the road at junction 14 get worn off , nope if anything yesterday just confirmed the race to the bottom, in all vehicle types, is still on.
Oh and there was another little pile up s’bound at Jct 14 yesterday about 200 yards past the weekends tragedy, this time several cars and a white van had stuffed themselves into the armco and each other, i wonder how many in the queue stretching back near enough to Northampton noticed the stains on the road beside the s’bound exit slip at 14 and realised where they were?
artics who run down the M1 till the last 200 yards of M25 slip road then put their left indicator cos, amazingly, there’s the M25 turn 
in this case) schedule’s and method or working do need looking at by the powers that be.
, nope if anything yesterday just confirmed the race to the bottom, in all vehicle types, is still on.