100% of utility trailers defective. 50% of animal trailers defective.

Please check out the email below from M. P..

The survey done on 19^th July is particularly relevant because it was exactly a year to the day little Finlay Martin was killed. Every single trailer stopped that day was defective.

The figures speak for themselves.

100% of utility trailers defective.

50% of animal trailers defective.

The Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership Matt to whom has sent the figures will be a perfect group to publicise the campaign for us.

We are a huge step closer now. We have the evidence to throw at the government. Matt is going to commission some more surveys too. He has promised me at least 3 more operations to gather more data. He is also going to take the results to the Greater Midlands Senior Traffic Officer Conference.

Matt mentioned that all the people found with defective trailers seemed to be decent nice people who were given advice about their trailers and were happy to accept they must take action – in fact grateful that the defects had been pointed out to them. Nobody argued or said the classic “why don’t you go and catch some real criminals?” which is something the police usually come across when doing a campaign like this. They all said they simply take out their trailer and load it up without a second thought having left it out in their garden for months on end without maintenance. One man said he maintained his caravan but never even thought about servicing his trailer.

Simon – When you do the Inside Out documentary Matt is happy for you to get in touch with him and maybe to arrange for the television cameras to film one of the future operations at a refuse tip or horse sale or horse show.

When the Ripley and Heanor and Belper News did a recent on line poll on their websites there were around 1500 votes cast with over 95% (Belper News) and 96% (Ripley and Heanor) of respondents in favour of the government bringing in MOT’s for trailers so public opinion is in our favour.

As soon as I have the official response to the Downing Street Petition which expires on 13^th August I will forward it to you all for information. However, their response so far has been one of denial claiming that accidents are due to improper loading rather than unroadworthy trailers. We now know the Secretary of State is relying upon fatally flawed data. Finlay’s accident was recorded as improper loading yet the trailer was totally empty!!! I have evidence that towed vehicles coming away from towing vehicles is common but unless people die or are seriously injured when this happens they will simply not be recorded anywhere and indeed we know from Finlay’s accident that even when a little four year old was killed by a runaway trailer the data did not reach the Secretary of State hence he is relying upon inaccurate information.

Very Best Wishes

Juliette

Councillor Juliette Blake

Member for Heage and Ambergate Ward and Cabinet Support Member for Cleaner, Greener and Safer

Amber Valley Borough Council

Leader of Ripley Town Council

The Old Forge

77 Brook Street

Heage

Belper

Derbyshire

DE56 2AG

01773 853739

Mobile 07502 163812

---

Juliette,

As discussed we did two operations, sorry for the different format of results. Different teams for each day.:

12th July.
8 trailers checked, 4 in order.
Of the remaining 4:
1. Home made trailer, corrosion and suspension bushes
2. Breakaway cable missing
3. Home made trailer, breakaway cable missing, worn towing hitch
4. Home made trailer, breakaway cable missing, defective brakes

19th July, Loscoe Tip
9 trailers checked:

Brake/

Unbraked Items Noted Approx Age of Trailer Comments
UNBRAKED No secondary coupling, N/S tyre defective tread depth, Load area (wooden) rotted in places, Offside indicator lens missing Twenty Years plus
BRAKED Coupling worn, Owner had left the park brake applied when leaving the site. Twenty Years plus Owner states always has his caravan serviced!
UNBRAKED No secondary coupling Twenty Years plus
UNBRAKED No secondary coupling Twenty Years plus
UNBRAKED No secondary coupling, o/s indicator lens missing, N/S tyre defective tread depth, O/S hub bearing grease cap missing, body loose but detachment not imminent Twenty Years plus
UNBRAKED Secondary coupling Fitted N/K No number plate
UNBRAKED No secondary coupling Twenty Years plus
UNBRAKED No secondary coupling, Wear in coupling device, mudguards missing. Twenty Years plus
UNBRAKED No secondary coupling N/K

Hope this helps, any questions then give me a ring. I'll be in touch when we have some more results.

I have raised this problem and given our results to the Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership (of which we are members) for them to consider. If this means nothing to you give me a ring and I'll explain it.

If they are willing to work on this they can help with publicity, education and encouragement, whilst we do the enforcement bit

T.C/Inspector, Head of Roads Policing
Derbyshire Constabulary

7th August 2008

Backing for trailer campaign

There is just a week left to sign a petition started after the death of a four-year-old boy in Heage.

Finlay Martin was killed when a trailer being towed by a car came off in Old Road.

He had been walking with his mum, Zoe, to pick his sister, Millie, up from the village primary school when the accident happened.

The trailer was later found to have defective breaks and no breakaway cable fitted – a device that should have stopped it from moving once it broke away.

After the incident Juliette Blake, borough councillor for Heage and Ambergate, started an online petition to the Prime Minister to make sure all trailers undergo MoTs and are fitted with the cables.

It currently has 1,284 names and a poll on the Belper News website asking whether MoTs should be introduced for trailers saw 96 per cent of readers vote for yes.

Cllr Blake said: "I am over the moon that the votes cast in the Belper News indicate an overwhelming support for the trailer safety MoT campaign.

"I intend to report the results to the government to strengthen our case for this much-needed common sense legislation."

To sign the petition click here.

• Published Date: 10 January 2008
• Source: DT Mid Edition
• Location: Chesterfield

Runaway trailer tragedy petition

By Staff Copy

Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling for a change in the law following the death of a little boy who was hit by a runaway trailer.

The parents of four-year-old Finlay Martin of Old Road, Heage, who died in July last year, are among about 300 people who have put their names to the on-line petition.

The petition calls on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to introduce an annual compulsory MoT for all trailers, including caravans and horse boxes, and to make it compulsory for trailers to be fitted with a cable which could activate an emergency braking system if a trailer breaks free.

Absolute hell

The campaign has been launched by mother-of-three Juliette Blake, a member of Amber Valley Borough Council and leader of Ripley Town Council, who says she has found numerous examples of deaths and injuries being caused by breakaway trailers.

She said: “Never a day goes by without me thinking of that poor family. They must be going through absolute hell and they’ll never get over it.

“I feel I have got to do something positive to help them. It’s an uphill battle but it would be fantastic if we could get the law changed.

“It is just so sad that a tragedy like this has to happen to bring it to people’s attention.”

At an inquest into Finlay’s death at Derby, on Thursday, deputy coroner Louise Pinder said that she intended to write to the Department of Transport passing on the family’s concerns in the hope that lessons could be learned from the tragic accident.

She recorded a narrative verdict – a factual account of Finlay’s death.

The full article contains 287 words and appears in DT Mid Edition newspaper.

Last Updated: 09 January 2008 9:46 AM

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MP Judy calls for trailer tests

What do you think? Sign in or register below to have your say.

• Published Date: 01 February 2008
• Source: Alfreton Chad
• Location: Mansfield

By Helen Lambourne

AMBER Valley MP Judy Mallaber has secured a pledge from a Government Minister to consider new regulations on trailers after the tragic death of a young boy.

Four-year-old Finlay Martin, from Heage in Derbyshire, was killed in July last year by a runaway trailer which had broken free from a car and a coroner ruled it was defective.

In the House of Commons last week, Ms Mallaber called on Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick to investigate bringing in an annual mandatory test for trailers – as requested by Finlay's family and local residents.

Mr Fitzpatrick said there had been several similar accidents in recent months and he vowed to consider the matter with officials in the Department for Transport.

What do you think? Click below to have your say.

The full article contains 135 words and appears in Alfreton Chad newspaper.

Last Updated: 31 January 2008 10:26 AM

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The government has got blood on its hands "

Sentences criticised after toddler death

"The government has got blood on its hands "

Cllr Juliette Blake

Sentences handed to two men involved in an accident which resulted in the death of toddler after a trailer broke loose while being towed by a car have been criticised for being 'too lenient'.

Two men have been fined and had points put on their driving licence after the death of four-year-old Finlay Martin in Heage.

Finlay died when he was struck by a trailer that had come loose from a car on Old Road in Heage in June.

His mother, Zoe, was also hit by the trailer and spent weeks in hospital.

The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the case in light of a coroner's verdict at an inquest into the youngster's death last month when it was revealed the trailer's brakes had been defective and no breakaway cable was fitted.

The driver of the car towing the trailer, David Robins, of Belper, pleaded guilty on February 13 at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court to using a motor vehicle when the secondary coupling device on the trailer was not fitted and to using a motor vehicle namely the trailer, with defective brakes.

He was fined £500 and given three penalty points on his licence. He was also ordered to pay £45 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Owner of the trailer Michael Buckley was also given a £500 fine, three points on his licence and the additional fees after pleading guilty to permitting the use of such a vehicle.

After the case Amber Valley borough councillor Juliette Blake, who represents Heage and is leading a campaign to tighten regulations on the use of trailers, said the sentences were lenient considering a child had died.

Cllr Blake said: "It's nothing considering a child has died. I was nearly in tears when I heard. If it was my child I would be gutted at these sentences. The family's lives have been wrecked by this.

"Since Finlay was killed there have been numerous other accidents involving trailers.

"The government has got blood on its hands as far as I'm concerned until it brings in legislation to stop this. Are they waiting for a larger accident where 60 people are killed?

"They won't bring in legislation without public pressure but while it's just one death here and there, there doesn't seem to be a concerted effort to bring public attention to it.

"There is a serious problem in this country with trailers, I see some horrific ones driving around and there are very few laws governing their use.

"We have an annual MOT test for cars, so you know that every car has been seen and checked in the last 12 months. There's nothing like that for trailers and there should be, they should be checked for road worthiness every year."

The full article contains 467 words and appears in n/a newspaper.

Last Updated: 20 February 2008 2:29 PM

Driver crippled in freak accident

A LORRY driver crippled when a freak runaway trailer collided head-on with his cab near Howden told a jury of the moment he thought he was going to die.

Father-of-three Clive Wade (44), said he could see he was on a collision course when a trailer owned by Hutton Cranswick licensee Clive Tomlinson appeared in front of his milk wagon.

Mr Wade of Holme-upon-Spalding Moor had to be airlifted from the horrific smash on the A614 on Thorpe Road, near Hygena. He suffered serious injuries including several broken bones to his legs. He needed surgery at Hull Royal Infirmary after the smash and now is unable to work and walks only with crutches.

He had been returning from Bristol to the village with an empty wagon after delivering condensed milk when the crash happened. His cab was hit by a breakaway trailer loaded with a mobile bar and marquee.

Giving evidence in a written statement at the start of a trial at Hull Crown Court Mr Wade said: "I could see I was on a collision course. The trailer was hurtling out of control towards me. I took hold of the steering wheel as hard as a could as the only place to go was to the left. I didn't try and turn too fast as the vehicle could have jack-knifed. I thought I was going to be killed. I heard a loud crunch."

Mr Wade, formerly of Wilson Close, Market Weighton, sat in court with his family as the statement was read. The court heard he still had two 13-year-old twins to support and had worked for the same dairy firm in for 21 years.

The driver of the Iveco van, Simon Saxby (46), pleaded guilty to driving a van dangerously on September 21, 2006.

Mr Saxby of Past Heap Farm, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells, told the jury he had had begun work for Mr Tomlinson in May, 2006 in the bar tent business and had no experience of towing a trailer or instruction "whatsoever".

He had been due to set up a bar and tent in a marquee in Derbyshire on the day as part of a nationwide mobile bar business. The court heard the firm had seven vans and four trailers and the drivers never knew which combination they would be taking out. He said he had been staying at the White Horse Inn at Hutton Cranswick at the time and the trailer had been loaded up for him before he set off. He said: "I didn't do my job correctly that day. I didn't do what I should have done. I am very very sorry about what happened. I had no training. I didn't know there wasn't a breakaway cable."

Crown barrister David Hall told the jury Mr Wade had done everything possible to avoid the collision and was in no way to blame. Mr Hall told the jury the accident happened when nuts and bolts sheared on the back of a tow bar, which broke away from a blue Iveco van towing a trailer. He said police had found there was wear and tear on the tow bar and lack of a breakaway cable. He said other issues to consider were a seized load sensor valve, defective hand-brake, overloading and a problem offside brake caliper. He said the tow-bar defects should have been spotted by Mr Saxby before he set off if he had been a careful and competent driver.

Clive Tomlinson (47) had denied any wrong doing. A jury was instructed to find him not guilty of the charge of aiding and abetting a van and trailer to be driven dangerously on the third day of a scheduled four-day trial. He was not in the van and denied knowing it was a danger.

Mr Saxby is due to be sentenced in around four weeks time and was allowed to walk free from court on bail.

Published on 14th February 2008 in News.

Runaway trailer tragedy petition

By Staff Copy

Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling for a change in the law following the death of a little boy who was hit by a runaway trailer.

The parents of four-year-old Finlay Martin of Old Road, Heage, who died in July last year, are among about 300 people who have put their names to the on-line petition.

The petition calls on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to introduce an annual compulsory MoT for all trailers, including caravans and horse boxes, and to make it compulsory for trailers to be fitted with a cable which could activate an emergency braking system if a trailer breaks free.

Absolute hell

The campaign has been launched by mother-of-three Juliette Blake, a member of Amber Valley Borough Council and leader of Ripley Town Council, who says she has found numerous examples of deaths and injuries being caused by breakaway trailers.

She said: “Never a day goes by without me thinking of that poor family. They must be going through absolute hell and they’ll never get over it.

“I feel I have got to do something positive to help them. It’s an uphill battle but it would be fantastic if we could get the law changed.

“It is just so sad that a tragedy like this has to happen to bring it to people’s attention.”

At an inquest into Finlay’s death at Derby, on Thursday, deputy coroner Louise Pinder said that she intended to write to the Department of Transport passing on the family’s concerns in the hope that lessons could be learned from the tragic accident.

She recorded a narrative verdict – a factual account of Finlay’s death.

The full article contains 287 words and appears in DT Mid Edition newspaper.

Last Updated: 09 January 2008 9:46 AM

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