The freight industry should assess what drivers are able to see from the cabs of high-sided vehicles, an inquest jury recommended yesterday.
The Dublin City Coroner's Court heard at the inquest of a cyclist who died after a collision with an articulated lorry that there can be blind spots from the tractor cabs of such vehicles.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded at the inquest of Spanish woman Ms Maria Sonia Jimonez Martinez (28) in Dublin.
The inquest was told Ms Martinez cycled along Malahide Road, and turned left on to Griffith Avenue on January 28th last just before 2 p.m.
As she turned on to Griffith Avenue, she went wide and veered over to the right. She cycled in front of an articulated lorry which was also turning left on to the avenue. She went under the wheels of the cab on the driver's side, dying instantly.
Ms Martinez, who lived in Artane, had been in Dublin for over a year, and was an Irish Wheelchair Association carer.
Garda Ned Gavin, of the traffic unit at Dublin Castle, said the driver would probably have been looking at the left-side of the lorry, watching to clear the kerb. "The cyclist would've been in the blind area for the driver."
The driver, Mr Séamus McCrann, said had the indicator on to show he was turning left. When the lights went green, he checked his mirrors on both sides. They were clear, and he continued straight for the length of the trailer, then started to turn left. "As I turned I heard a slight thud and almost instantly after this, I heard a scraping noise."
Asked by Dr Farrell if there were blind spots from the cabs, Mr McCrann said there were.
He said there were three mirrors on the passenger side and one on the driver's side. There was another blind spot directly down in front of the cab.