Safety systems criticised after fatal M25 crash

3 hours ago

Zac SherrattSouth East

A coroner has raised concerns about lorry "under-run protection bars" and a Toyota anti-lock braking system (ABS) after a fatal crash on the M25.

Lisa Bowen, 48, died after the rear offside tyre of her Toyota Corolla deflated and detached, before the car crashed into a stationary lorry on the hard shoulder between junction eight (Reigate) and nine (Leatherhead).

In a report, senior coroner Richard Travers said ABS tests did not address this type of situation and there could be more deaths without tighter rules on under-run bars.

Toyota said it would review the findings, while lorry manufacturer, Scania GB, said it would continue to work, if asked to, on road safety improvements.

At an inquest into Ms Bowen's death in Woking,[1] Mr Travers concluded she had died instantaneously.

Ms Bowen had steered to the hard shoulder between junctions eight and nine, after driving "for at least a few minutes" following the tyre's deflation, Mr Travers said.

A lorry pulled onto the hard shoulder due to a tyre issue and the driver had heard "quite a loud bang and felt something hit the back of the lorry", the coroner added.

The lorry driver ran to the rear of his vehicle and saw a car wedged under it.

He called 999, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

In a report to prevent future deaths, Mr Travers said the brakes on Ms Bowen's car did not work effectively because when the pedal was pressed, the vehicle's ABS reduced the braking effect almost entirely.

The coroner heard evidence that the speed of the wheel with a detached tyre was greater than that of the other three, which led to the ABS perceiving the problem to be with the three slower wheels, so each time the brake was applied, the ABS released the braking pressure to those wheels to avoid them locking up.

'Catastrophic failure'

A spokesperson for Toyota told the BBC said it was "deeply saddened by this tragic accident" and had "co-operated fully" with the senior coroner's investigation.

They added: "Toyota acknowledges the findings of the coroner and will carefully review the senior coroner's conclusions.

"At this stage Toyota cannot give further information until its review process is completed."

Mr Travers said his second concern related to the "catastrophic failure" of the under-run protection bar fitted to the back of the lorry.

An expert said the bar was compliant with regulation, apart from the bolts attaching it to the chassis being the incorrect strength.

They also said the bar was "grossly insufficient" to prevent under-run or to have reduced the extent of the Toyota's under-run, and would still not have been strong enough if the correct bolts were used.

A spokesperson for Scania GB said: "First and foremost, we want to share our sincere condolences with Ms Bowen's family and friends.

"At Scania, safety is of utmost importance and we are glad the coroner has recognised that the run-under protection device fitted was fully compliant with all relevant legislation.

"As ever, we will continue to work with the regulators and legislators, as called upon, if they should consider that changes need to be made to improve safety for all road users."

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport (DfT) said: "Every death on our roads is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one in this way."

They said the DfT would carefully review the coroner's findings to determine "the appropriateness of further amendments" to vehicle requirements.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency said it had nothing to add to the DfT's response.

The coroner's findings were also sent to the secretary of state for business and trade.

West Pennine Trucks Limited, which is a franchise of Scania, and PPS Commercials LTD have also been sent copies of the report.

All have been contacted for comment.

References

1. ^ an inquest into Ms Bowen's death in Woking, (www.bbc.co.uk)