C’mon peeps we can better debate equipment, training & driving techniques on other threads.
Save this thread for the poor sods involved in this tragedy and the findings when they are published, anything else is speculation, leave that kind of BS to the meeja.
ckm1981:
The-Snowman:
Olog Hai:
Have a day off Snowman. You sound like you could start a pointless argument in an empty room…So im no longer allowed an opinion or to argue my point/case without it being pointless? Interesting
Cant remember the last argument I was in,was a long time go. Theres a difference between debate,opinion and pointless argument.
I do love a good mass debate 
[/quote]
I’m sure they are plenty of others on here that do and are 
chicane:
Save this thread for the poor sods involved in this tragedy and the findings when they are published, anything else is speculation, leave that kind of BS to the meeja.
Thats the point I was trying to make before I got rounded on
ckm1981:
I do love a good mass debate
So do I. It just seems I cant comment before the usual suspects deciding its argument starting. Anyway,before I make this whole thread worse,im out.
nick2008:
Bath truck crash: Teenage driver arrested over deathsHe had only received his HGV licence five days years earlier, on February 4 - the day after his 19th birthday.
I think the Telegraph ( and a few other papers) may be misleading readers about the licence the tipper driver had received only five days before the accident.
I understand it that the test he took on the 4th Feb was the Artic test. I think he already had already passed his Class 2 well before that. So by the 4th of Feb he was in fact OVER-qualified to drive that tipper.
This seems to be borne out here:
facebook.com/pages/Philip-P … 1793982425
It is a pity the newpapers don’t clarify this point.
The-Snowman:
chicane:
Save this thread for the poor sods involved in this tragedy and the findings when they are published, anything else is speculation, leave that kind of BS to the meeja.Thats the point I was trying to make before I got rounded on
ckm1981:
I do love a good mass debateSo do I. It just seems I cant comment before the usual suspects deciding its argument starting. Anyway,before I make this whole thread worse,im out.
Totally agree, made worse by having posters who know what they are talking about and posters who think they know what they are talking about.
at the end of the day only a couple of people really know and it looks like both are assisting police with their enquiries.
Right, listening to a conversation on Channel 5 (the CB, not the tv broadcaster) earlier on, it’s not the first time the “28 year old man” has been in trouble for maintenance issues. The conversation in question was between two tipper drivers who live near the company involved and know of said operator very well. They also drive for a red Wiltshire based company. 
Also one of the weight/width restriction signs was taken out a few weeks ago and not replaced, if you’re looking for mitigating factors.
I have a feeling the driver is going to stitched up good and proper on this one. I know the diver is responsible for the vehicle and making sure its roadworthy, but lets be honest, if your boss tells you its good to go, and your daily checks don’t cause any concern, then you climb in and do your job.
How many of us here actually check the state of the brakes fully. Its all very well doing a quick brake check in the yard before you leave, but thats not the same as knowing for sure they are fully adjusted properly and the pads or shoes are still in serviceable levels… You trust your company to keep on top of issues like that.
I bet that morning this kid thought it was just another day, like every single one of us here does… and now he is facing serious criminal charges for something which he had very little control over.
Not only the mechanical state of the lorry, but also the training provided to new drivers about correct techniques for descending hills.
I do feel sorry for him, unless it turns out as some have suggested that he was “racing” his boss (I can’t see that being true though), then it seems he was in the wrong lorry, on the wrong hill at the wrong time and now his life is ruined and 4 others have no life.
109LWB:
I have a feeling the driver is going to stitched up good and proper on this one.I bet that morning this kid thought it was just another day, like every single one of us here does… and now he is facing serious criminal charges for something which he had very little control over.
Not only the mechanical state of the lorry, but also the training provided to new drivers about correct techniques for descending hills.I do feel sorry for him, unless it turns out as some have suggested that he was “racing” his boss (I can’t see that being true though), then it seems he was in the wrong lorry, on the wrong hill at the wrong time and now his life is ruined and 4 others have no life.
As I’ve said previously that’s what the establishment ‘might’ be expected to do given the choice of having any possible blame pinned to its driver training regime.It seems strange that lots of ‘news’ seems to have been leaked concerning alleged blame being put on the driver but nothing concerning exactly what caused the wagon to run away. 
Having said that,reading between the lines of some of the hearsay contained in the news released so far, ‘maybe’ it ‘possibly’ goes along the lines of a possibly overloaded wagon,that had ‘possibly’ recently failed its MOT on brakes. 
In which case that would be reasonably easy to prove and the driver and operator are probably toast regarding the definition of dangerous driving concerning load and vehicle condition and O licence responsibility.Nothing whatsoever to do with ‘racing’ anyone down a steep hill with a loaded 8 wheeler. 
However going by the news that the law don’t seem to have actually established absolutely anything,regarding vehicle condition or cause of the runaway,then exactly what are they basing their allegations for arrest on.Something stinks in that regard. 
Please correct me if wrong but would the arrests not just be a matter of routine with something this serious?
Or is it because the police have a lot of evidence against the pair already?
Gembo:
Please correct me if wrong but would the arrests not just be a matter of routine with something this serious?
Or is it because the police have a lot of evidence against the pair already?
That would be my understanding, it allows the police to interview them ‘under caution’
I would have thought that if the truck was back on the road then that would mean it has even more recently passed inspection…or have I missed something
Id have expected the driver to have been arrested at the scene rather than several days later, thats usually the way it works in a major incident. They obviously have something to base the decision on. I can’t imagine Hills allowing a lorry to leave overloaded, so Id be very surprised if overloading was a factor.
But until (if) the police ever release their reports, we will never know the cause.
I suspect it would be pointless to arrest or interview the driver under caution on the day.
If the prosecution produced a case based on a statement made by a young man who was badly shocked, I don’t suppose it would stand up as acceptable evidence in a court of law.
I thought the driver went to hospital? Surely the filth would have to wait until the lads in a better medical state(especially given his mental trauma) until throwing an arrest his way?
Or are they that callous that they could/would arrest at the scene??
chicane:
Gembo:
Please correct me if wrong but would the arrests not just be a matter of routine with something this serious?
Or is it because the police have a lot of evidence against the pair already?That would be my understanding, it allows the police to interview them ‘under caution’
I would have thought that if the truck was back on the road then that would mean it has even more recently passed inspection…or have I missed something
According to the news reports,investigations as to why the wagon ran away are ongoing.IE as yet they don’t know why.In which case there is,as yet,no evidence to suggest wrong doing either on the part of the driver or the operator.On that basis arrest and interview under caution regarding what.
No idea,…fishing expedition?
eagerbeaver:
I thought the driver went to hospital? Surely the filth would have to wait until the lads in a better medical state(especially given his mental trauma) until throwing an arrest his way?Or are they that callous that they could/would arrest at the scene??
I don’t think they did arrest at the scene…I think they arrested him this am.
No matter what the circumstances were leading up to this, I don’t expect that he was 100 % to blame for what happened.
30 years ago I was involved in an RTA that led to the death of someone. Even though the police were very careful to explain that it wasn’t my fault, I can’t say I’ve ever felt guilt-free about it. All I’ll say about it is…please check that your diesel tanks aren’t overfull and the caps are secure. It may seem trivial to some, but it can be life and death.
Im sorry to hear of your experience Gas Gas.
I feel very sorry for this young driver. I agree with your points,and this sad event has all the hallmarks of ‘many contributing factors’ coming in to play.
Well, having seen the ‘driving’ skills and ‘road craft’ of the average tipper driver around those there parts, I dont hold a high opinion of most of them. And I can just imagine a 19 year old, new in this business, trying to keep up with that.
I once did some agency work for another Wiltshire tipper operator. … On the way back to base at the end of the day, three of the bellend jockeys decided that driving three abreast down the M4, slowing down to annoy the traffic, was hilarious.