Taxi Driver Online

Father’s campaign for automatic locks

A BEREAVED father has campaigned tirelessly to ensure all private hire vehicles are fitted with automatic locks after his son was killed by falling from a taxi. In August 2005, 22-year-old Gavin Fenton, of Macclesfield, was returning from a night out when he opened the door and fell out, sustaining fatal injuries.

After Manchester Coroner Nigel Meadows ruled that the young financial adviser would still be alive if the taxi had been fitted with automatic locks, dad John, 38, started a petition obtaining over 1,000 signatures. Both Mr Meadows and John are pressing the government to introduce a law ensuring all private taxis are fitted with an automatic locking system.

John, of Kennedy Avenue, said: "We are still suffering; you are never going to forget it and you get up for work in the morning and you go to bed at night, but it never leaves you. I had to do something; I just want to stop this from happening to anyone else.

"You don’t expect your kids to go before you; he had his whole life ahead of him. Every time you see something similar on the television it brings back memories."

John, who has two other sons, Alex, 22, and Ryan, 19, turned to his colleagues at Macclesfield Leisure Centre who helped him print out seven copies of his petition that he intends to present to MP Sir Nicholas Winterton.

John, along with his mother, Pauline, 65, then went around the town centre, before travelling to Congleton and Leek with his petition. He said: "My mum was on crutches as she is due to have a knee replacement. "I would like to thank everyone who signed the petition as it may just help save a life."

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IDFIMH

Maybe the government should introduce a law which says people should put on their seat-belts.

Oh yeah, they already have.

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IDFIMH

When i first read that comment my first thought was thats nasty the guy has lost his son, however on reflection its a darn good point, had the lad of been wearing a seatbelt it would not of been possible for him to fall out, but i do still feel for the father though no matter what the circumstances are.

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

And why did he open the door of a moving vehicle?

We have probably all had punters attempting to do this, and we all know why.

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Former taxi driver

Tragic, absolutely heartbreaking but completely avoidable because of the points already made.

The family have my sympathy ................... but at the end of the day nothing with the car or driver seems to be at fault.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Tragic story. But if he is demanding auto locking then does he also want windows that don't open (or has no one ever anyone try to climb out / wave / moon etc). Harsh as it may sound if the lad had sat inthe car with his seatbelt on and not played with the doors etc he'd still be here today. I pity the por driver who has to live with this event for the rest of his life.

More to the point if my doors did not open my council would fail my car when it is tested, as if involved in a crash the passengers must be able to get out.

Well black cabs have had a perfectly good system for decades.

Locked while moving or brake applied.

But back to the original point I agree, if he'd been sat down with seatbelt on he wouldn't have fell out.

Why did he open the door of a moving vehicle??? no sympathy for him but his family and the cab driver are now suffering because of his stupidity.

About a year ago i was travelling at about 70mph when a male passenger started argueing with his girl and then opened his door whereby she dragged him back in and i slammed the anchors on But it quite so easily could have ended up very nasty.At the end of the day how much safety are we supposed to have Condolences to the lads family

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=z07K29Fc15U

Lots of cars have auto matic locks but you can still open the door by pulling the button up or however each car works. As has already been mentioned, to pass the council test the door must be able to be opened from the inside.

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Grandad,

well you can switch on the child locks in door side ..but the doors have to be open from the outside

some poeple don't even think before they open a door ..ie see if a car / bike is coming towards them , or on the pavement side a buddy / wheelchair.

i have no sympathy for the lad

my vw transporter has motion locks , which can be annoying at sometimes