A haulage operator has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after causing the death of two men in a horrific crash on the M62. The pair died when the truck, which was carrying a large static caravan jack-knifed and crashed through the central reservation.

The court heard that the owner had completed safety checks in weeks before the accident where he logged a fault with the brakes on eight occasions, including on the morning of the fatal crash.

Despite being advised to get the vehicle repaired by a specialist, he instructed his driver to carry on driving the lorry, which would travel more than 3,000 miles from March 19 to the day of the accident.

On that fatal morning, the driver was to embark on a 580-mile journey transporting mobile homes to the south coast and encountered four separate incidents with faulty brakes before reaching the M62.

“You had serious problems with the brakes, twice when they became stuck and would not release and twice when you almost drove into your escorting vehicles,” said Justice Fraser.

“You knew that there was something wrong with the brakes. The collision was inevitable, and it was a disaster waiting to happen.”

There was no opportunity to avoid the collision with experts saying the combined speed of the impact was at 100mph.

How can we reduce the risk?

This highlights the need to monitor harsh braking through telematics. With an AdvancedFleet Telematics system, you can receive the following benefits:

  • Reduced rear-end collisions
  • Reduced brake issues/maintenance.
  • Prevent aggressive driving behaviour
  • Reducing wear and tear
  • Improving driver safety

Telematics provides you with an insight into driver behaviour, but it’s particularly effective when it comes to monitoring harsh driving actions. Using this information effectively will allow you to make improvements to aspects of your business.

As a fleet manager/operator, you need to be aware of the potential problems that could arise so you can provide appropriate training and skills. This will in turn ease frustration as this seems to be the root of most problems on the road.

Equipping your vehicle’s with a telematics system is the first step you need to take to start correcting issues within your business, protecting you financially and keeping your drivers safe on the road.

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