Do your driving team have unnecessary items on their dashboard? The recent case of Robert Bradbury saw his employer S&J Transport fined £112k for breaching the health and safety at work act. A desperately sad case where Mr Bradbury, the HGV driver killed cyclist Dr Bull. The drivers dash table had been removed for MOT purposes earlier in the year. We are likely to see this and other HGV in-cab accessories clamped down on by the DVSA in 2020.
A trucker has been jailed for causing the death of a junior doctor who was hit while riding her bicycle.
Robert Bradbury, 50, and his employer S&J Transport, were told they had shown a “total lack of regard for the law” during the incident in Edgbaston, Birmingham on October 9 2017. Bull, from Farnsfield near Newark, was killed when Bradbury’s lorry smashed into her at a junction as she was coming back from a bike ride with her brother.
A lorry tray table that had been removed after the HGV failed its MOT test was later reinstalled and filled with junk – meaning Bradbury failed to see the doctor in front of him. The table and items such as a fan, sat nav and toys were re-installed the next day and contributed to the collision.
He was sentenced to 21 months in jail and banned from the roads for two years and ten months after being convicted of causing death by careless driving.
Birmingham Crown Court heard the crash happened when Bradbury indicated left as he approached the junction of Priory Road, but began his manoeuvre without noticing Dr Bull in a dedicated cycle lane.
A jury heard the 32-year-old should have been in full view in Bradbury’s mirror for five seconds as she cycled ahead of him by at least three bike lengths, but the HGV collided with her, causing catastrophic injuries.
The doctor, who was wearing bright pink high-visibility clothing, was pronounced dead at hospital later that day.
In a tribute, her family said: “We tragically lost our beautiful Suzie two years ago, long before her time and with so much more left to give the world. Nothing will ever replace her.
“It devastates us to know that her death was avoidable. The evidence that we have heard in the course of the trial has highlighted several areas of responsibility which need addressing so that similar circumstances in which we lost Suzie do not ever happen again.
“In conclusion we wish to emphasise the grief our family and Suzie’s friends have suffered.
We are grateful for the work of the Crown Prosecution Service and West Midlands Police for their help and support.”
PC Mark Crozier, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “The dashboard tables used by Bradbury and a number of other drivers across the UK are designed to only be used when the vehicle is stationary.
“They are not to be used when driving, as they clearly present a danger. The junk he accumulated on his dashboard contributed to the fatal collision.
“Both Bradbury and his employer knew his view would be impaired, but both their complacency and total lack of regard for the law were the overriding factors that led to the tragic death of Dr Suzanna Bull.
“I hope this sends a serious message to all road hauliers and drivers to review their vehicle checking processes as the safety of all road users is and always should be a priority.”
