Cumbrian Industrials Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in relation to the incident and appeared before Preston Crown Court yesterday.
Graham Campbell died after hitting an unlit contractor's vehicle parked on the hard shoulder of the M6, just past junction 35 near Carnforth. He was travelling north on the motorway at approximately 11.30pm on 8 May 2004.
Cumbrian Industrials, of The Ridge, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to ensure the safety of the public. The judge deferred his decision on what costs the company should pay in addition to the fine.
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The court heard that Cumbrian Industrials was guilty of several failings. Inconsistency in the positioning of the traffic cones, between the hard shoulder and lane one, caused uncertainty to motorists about whether the hard shoulder should be used.
Cumbrian Industrials also failed to provide detailed drawings for a change in the layout of the traffic cones, after the original plans were altered. And the cones were not moved back into place after the white line between lanes one and two had been repainted.
Joy Jones, HSE's Principal Inspector for Traffic Management, said: "The company should have carefully planned and co-ordinated the work of its subcontractors. A new route through the roadworks should not have been opened until the carriageway was clear of obstructions and the correct signs and cones were in place.
"We will not hesitate to take action against construction companies who fail to comply with the law."
(CD/KMcA)
