Alan Derek Evans · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On the 13th May 2014 I commenced an investigation into the death of Alan Derek Evans. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on the 23rd October 2014. The conclusion of the inquest was Accidental death.

On the 4th May 2014 the deceased was riding his Honda Fireblade motorcycle travelling on the A489 between Newtown and Kerry heading towards Kerry when at approximately 11:50 he overtakes a vehicle prior to a left hand bend. On returning to his lane he loses control of his vehicle and veers into the “wrong lane” and his hit by an oncoming vehicle before being run over by one travelling immediately behind the first. He was declared deceased at the scene.

[BRIEF SUMMARY OF MATTERS OF CONCERN]
(1) The road at this particular location is governed by a single broken white line indicating that overtaking is permitted. Given the layout of the road, the existence of a side entrance to it, the impact of hedges obscuring the view of the road consideration, in my opinion, ought to be given to putting double white line markings on this particular stretch of road.
(2) The evidence suggested that one of the most likely causes of the deceased losing control of his motorcycle was contact with a protruding cats eye. This was agreed by the senior investigation officer and the collision investigation officer who both held the view that this may have contributed to the accident. Consideration in my view ought to be given to replacing the “old style cats eyes” with the newer “slim line” version to minimise this risk in the future should it not be considered appropriate to make the area subject to double white lines to prohibit overtaking.