A message from Lex Russell, Chair of the UK Health & Safety Committee. 30th March marks the 6th anniversary of the death of Gary McEachran; Gary was the last contractor to die while working on our behalf. He was travelling to a customer’s site to make his first delivery of the day when the nearside wheels of his tipper truck went into the grass verge at the side of a road. He was unable to regain control of the vehicle before it rolled over. The vehicle cab was severely damaged when it collided with a hedge row and sadly Gary died at the scene from chest and abdominal injuries, he was 42 years old.
The investigation by the authorities took just over a year, with the Scottish Courts publishing the findings in May 2018.
The Police confirmed Gary had been texting while driving, sending and receiving nine text messages in the first half an hour of his journey. The last incoming text coincided with Gary losing control of his vehicle. He was also speeding, travelling at 57 mph at the time of the incident, on a road limited to 40 mph for large goods vehicles.
It is extremely sad that someone should lose their life while working for us, however, in this case, it was also deeply concerning that someone would put their own life at risk, as well as the safety of other road users. Studies have shown that you are 24 times more likely to crash while driving if texting, and twice as likely to crash text driving as you are drink driving. Yet most of us wouldn’t dream of driving if we were over the limit… what could be so important that it is worth taking such a risk?
We all have a role to play in keeping our roads safe for everyone. Never use a handheld phone while driving, whether it’s for texting, social media or calls, and please do all you can to avoid using hands free phones for calls as well. If you must make / receive a call on a hands-free phone, ensure you comply with the company policy… Is it urgent / cannot be delayed? Are the road conditions appropriate? Keep the duration of the call to an absolute minimum.
We all have a role to play in discouraging the use of mobile phones while driving, reminding people only to use them when absolutely necessary… it’s difficult to imagine how the person who was texting Gary McEachran must feel.
If we are to continue to look after ourselves and each other, it is essential we don’t forget the tragic lessons we have learnt in the past.