British mother's campaign to change tire law gets council's support

ERJ staff report (TP)

Liverpool, UK − A city councillor is calling on the authority to support a British mother’s campaign to bring in laws on the age of tires, reported Eleanor Barlow for the Liverpool Echo.

Cllr Roz Gladden will put forward a notice of motion calling for the chief executive to write to Prime Minister David Cameron in support of the campaign started by Frances Molloy, from Woolton (in Liverpool), at a meeting of the council this week.

Molloy’s 18-year-old son Michael died along with Kerry Ogden and driver Colin Daulby when their coach crashed on the A3 in Hindhead, Surrey, as they travelled back to Merseyside from a music festival on the Isle of Wight in September 2012.

Another man, Zach Washington-Young, suffered life-changing spinal injuries in the collision and is still receiving intensive treatment.

An inquest found the crash was caused by the blowout of a 19-year-old tire.

The notice of motion put forward by Cllr Gladden reads: “Frances Molloy, Michael’s mother is leading a campaign for a change in UK law to ban the use of tires older than six years on commercial vehicles.

“This change in law is being supported by her MP, Maria Eagle and Shadow Transport Minister, Mary Creagh, but to date, despite a meeting with Transport Minister, Patrick McLoughlin MP, and a vague promise to look at further research, the Government will not commit to a change in the law .

“Council requests the chief executive to write to the Prime Minister urging the Government to legislate to introduce safeguards so that coaches are operated safely, including that tires older than six years cannot be used on commercial vehicles.

“Council also resolves to support this campaign until such change in the law is achieved.”

Coach company Merseypride, which operated the vehicle involved in the crash, was stripped of its licence after a public inquiry last month.

North West traffic commissioner Beverley Bell reconvened the inquiry in Warrington on January to decide whether owners David and Tracey Hannell should be disqualified as directors of the firm.

A result from that inquiry will become available at a later date.

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Full story from the Liverpool Echo