THE GOVERNMENT has been urged to tighten laws on "irresponsible" loading of lorries to prevent "entirely avoidable" road deaths.
Labour former minister Janet Anderson (Rossendale and Darwen) said it should be illegal to load vehicles with heavy materials at the top and protested that the Transport Department's safe practice code was often ignored.
Opening debate on her Vehicle Safety (Loads) Bill, she said: "If the legislation regarding the loading, carrying and transportation of scrap metal was tighter, I believe the irresponsible loading of lorries might stop."
She said the death of 63-year-old Valerie Taylor, on the M62 near Liverpool in November 2006, could have been avoided if such laws had been in place.
"An articulated lorry carrying nearly 40 tonnes of scrap metal overturned ... and landed on Valerie's car," she said.
"One of the main reasons the lorry overturned, killing Valerie, was the irresponsible way scrap metal was loaded onto the vehicle."
Liverpool Crown Court was told last November that the lorry's top-heavy load of scrap cars and fridges caused the vehicle to lose its balance and swerve. The driver was cleared of dangerous driving.
Ms Anderson told MPs: "If tragic accidents like the one which claimed the life of Valerie Taylor are to be avoided in the future, surely it is essential that there is a mandatory code of practice on the safety of loads on vehicles."
Guidelines state that scrap metal cars and large objects should be loaded at the bottom of the container with smaller items on top but these are "often ignored", Ms Anderson said.
"This legislation would render the top-heavy loading of goods on vehicles illegal, which should prevent such tragic accidents."
The Bill gained its first reading but is unlikely to become law due to lack of parliamentary time.
