Truck crash bars should be tested yearly, coroner's court jury recommends

CRASH BARS which are located at the back of trucks and lorries to stop cars crashing underneath potentially killing the car-driver, should be tested annually to ensure compliance with EU standards, a coroner’s court jury has said.

The jury, of six men, at Dublin City Coroner’s Court also recommended facilities should be provided within the State to test the strength of crash bars. There are no such facilities at the moment.

The recommendations came following the inquest into the death of Dean O’Hara (22), Wellview Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin, in 2007. He died of severe head injuries sustained when the car he was driving crashed into the back of a lorry, sheared through the lorry’s crash bar and travelled under the carriage.

The incident happened on December 13th on the M50. He died on December 16th, 2007, at Beaumont Hospital.

The court heard a deposition from Sarah Grogan, another motorist on the motorway at the time, who said Mr O’Hara had been driving behind her in the outside lane at about 80 km/h.

A large truck was in front of her, blocking vision of the stationary traffic ahead in the adjacent, inside, lane.

She said Mr O’Hara, who had been driving close to the rear of her car, moved into the inside lane, accelerating as he did.

There was a “big impact” between his car and a truck.

The court heard Mr O’Hara’s car collided with an unladen truck owned by Carlen Glass Merchants Ltd.

The truck’s crash bar, which had been made by Michael Dunne Engineering, was completely shorn and Mr O’Hara’s car travelled about one metre under the truck.

The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure and attached a two-part rider that provision should be made within the State to test undercarriage crash bars, and the issuing of a certificate of roadworthiness should be dependent on the vehicle displaying the relevant mark on passing the undercarriage test.

Mr O’Hara’s parents and siblings, who were in court, said they were “delighted” with the verdict though “worried there are trucks with weak crash bars still out there”.