< Back to Previous Page
Towing Troubles: Danger On America's Roads
You've seen them on the highway the oversized boat on a too-small trailer, the overloaded pickup with its cargo ready to topple into the roadway and the rickety camper swaying across the
lanes. But did you know the danger they present to motorists around them? Or that many of the Americans who tow don't follow recommended safety precautions? While sales of campers, boats, ATVs and motorcycles are all on the rise, so are accidents involving the towing of these recreational vehicles. Some 57,000 crashes involving passenger vehicles towing trailers occur annually, according to five-year averages of accident analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. In 2003 alone, accidents with trailing vehicles resulted in 364 deaths, 14,484 injuries and 40,080 instances of property damage. Both the numbers of deaths and property damages increased in 2003 from the previous year.
The primary dangers on the roadways include towed trailers that get loose, trailers that sway and cause the towing vehicle to lose control, trailers that blow tires and cause the towing vehicle to wreck and improperly tied-down cargo that breaks loose and falls into the roadway, causing accidents for other motorists. According to Sherline Products Inc., which manufactures trailer tongue weight scales for the towing industry, a customer reported this harrowing experience: "I had a small travel trailer and loaded a number of heavy 5-gallon rinking water bottles in the very back where they would be out of the way during a trip," he said. "After speeding up to pass a truck, I pulled back into my lane and the trailer went into an uncontrollable oscillation. My family was terrified as the car and trailer pitched from one shoulder to the other. I was very lucky to regain control before the rig flipped or went head-on into another vehicle. I just didn't know how dangerous it was or how to load the trailer correctly."
Many Americans Don't Know How to Tow
The study, which included more than 500 safety inspections of campers, boating trailers and RVs around the country, found that many Americans who tow don't follow recommended safety precautions and don't properly prepare their
towing vehicles before they hit the road. Key findings include: A majority (51%) of Americans who tow campers, boats or trailers with ATVs/jet skis/motorcycles do not use the recommended security methods of a locking device for their coupler and hitch. Nearly 50 percent (48%) of respondents towing boats use only a non locking receiver pin to connect their trailer, which is susceptible to tampering. Respondents towing campers had the best approach to safety, with 69
percent using both locks and pins to secure their vehicles, 69 percent using weight distribution systems, 71 percent using appropriately crossed security chains and 52 percent having a properly leveled trailer.
Nearly 50 percent (47%) of those towing boats didn't properly cross their safety chains under the coupler. Properly crossed safety chains form a cradle to catch a trailer if it becomes unhitched and prevent it from falling onto the road where it can cause severe vehicle and trailer damage as well as accidents and injuries.
If you have experienced personal injuries or substantial income loss as a result of an automobile accident, the lawyers or law firms in Auto Accident Lawyers.com are here to give you a free case review and to fight for you in court.
Contact our Auto Accident Lawyers and Obtain a Free Case Evaluation.
| 
