Documentary Featured In The BBC The Finlay Family

2009-02-06T03:02:00.000-08:00

Trailer safety

Small trailers are popular with road users but just how safe are they? A number of accidents involving defective trailers has led safety campaigners in Derbyshire to ask for a tightening up of the law.

Around 300,000 small trailers are sold in the UK every year but it's thought there are many millions in occasional use.

Finlay Martin - died in a trailer crash.

Trailers under a weight of 3.5 tonnes currently do not need to undergo an annual MOT test.

The family of four-year old Finlay Martin, from Heage in Derbyshire, is campaigning for that to be changed after he was killed by a defective runaway trailer.

The Martins were hit from behind by a trailer which had broken free from a car.

Finlay's mother Zoe was also critically injured in the accident. But she's been able to recover - and summon up the strength to fight a safety campaign.

When it first happened, many thought it was a tragic one-off. But you don't have to look far to find details of other similar deaths in recent years.

The trailer which hit Finlay had brakes - but they didn't work. Its owner - and the driver who'd borrowed it - were both fined.

Tougher checks

Finlay's family want annual checks on trailers - just like an MOT for a car.

They've been supported by their local councillor for Heage and by an internet site calling for a change in the law, both in the UK and in America.

After Finlay's death Derbyshire police began looking into the state of trailers used to take rubbish to local tips.

At the moment, the law says only those built after 1997 need a chain to stop them running away if the main hitch fails.

A runaway trailer.

Over a year into the Martin family's campaign a breakthrough has been made.

The government is going to include checks on tow bars as part of the MOT for cars and vans - as a direct result of what happened to Finlay.

But it is already a reality in other countries. In New Zealand, the equivalent of just over £10 gets your trailer checked and on the road for half a year.

If the law gets changed in England, it will be 'Finlay's Law' - something positive which has come out of a tragic accident that could have been prevented.

SAFETY ADVICE

Anyone who uses a small trailer is already required by law to ensure it's in a road-safe condition.

YouTube video - Trailer crash >

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The Vehicle and Operators Services Association (VOSA) issues the following advice for drivers using trailers...

BEFORE LOADING

* Where the trailer has brakes, it's recommended the trailer and load does not exceed 80-85% of the weight of the towing vehicle.

* Where the trailer does not have its own braking system, the trailer and load should not be over 50% of the weight of the towing vehicle and up to a maximum weight of 750kg.

AFTER LOADING

Before the start of any journey, the driver of the towing vehicle needs to ensure that:

* the load is distributed evenly and secure;

* the lights are undamaged and working correctly;

* a breakaway cable or secondary coupling is used;

* the tyre pressures are correct and the tyres are undamaged and the tread depth is legal (remember to also check the towing vehicle);

* the wheel nuts/bolts are tightened to the correct torque (remember to also check the towing vehicle);

* the trailer is correctly coupled to the tow ball or pin;

* the coupling height is correct;

* there are secure mudguards on the trailer.

ON THE ROAD

* Always keep within the legal speed limits, your capabilities and the road and weather conditions.

* If the trailer starts to snake or swerve, ease off the accelerator and reduce speed gently. This is an indication that you are going too fast or the trailer is wrongly loaded.

* Do not brake harshly on a bend as this will make the trailer unstable.

* Reduce speed in plenty of time when approaching any hazard.

Source: VOSA

VOSA website >

New Study of Americans Who Tow Finds Many Lack Recommended Safety Precautions While Towing Accidents, Deaths are on the Rise

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 25 -- 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?

A new study, "Towing Troubles: Danger on America's Road", from Customer Profiles, Ltd., and Master Lock, tracks the safety -- or lack thereof -- of the vehicles and trailers being towed on the roadways of America. 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 drinking 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.

  -- A majority of respondents towing boats or ATVs/jet skis/motorcycles
     achieved a moderate or worse ranking on the levelness of their
     trailer.  For ATVs/jet skis/motorcycles, 15 percent were ranked poor
     or extremely poor.  An unleveled trailer will reduce the driver's
     control of the vehicle and may cause the trailer and consequently the
     vehicle to fishtail.

  -- More than 50 percent (53%) of towing vehicles and trailers received
     only moderate or poor rankings on their electrical systems, which
     means that brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights may not work
     properly.  Additionally, frayed and exposed wires pose a significant
     danger.  Boat trailers presented the greatest danger, with 17 percent
     of their electrical systems in poor or extremely poor condition.

  -- Trailer tires are one of the biggest dangers on the road, with 41
     percent of tires in only moderate or worse condition.  Some 10 percent
     of boat trailers had tires in poor or extremely poor condition.  Worn,
     under-inflated and dry-rotted tires can blow under highway conditions,
     leading to dangerous accidents.  Forty percent of accidents involving
     a passenger vehicle towing a trailer are due to faulty tires.

Cargo strapped to vehicles also is an issue. From items carried in the back of pickups to coolers latched to the back of campers to luggage on the top of the family minivan, carrying cargo requires properly placed tie-downs and high-quality bungee cords.

   -- Security of cargo on the trailers also is an issue, with more than 54
     percent of campers, 28 percent of ATVs/jet skis/motorcycles and 49
     percent of boats ranking as moderate or worse in their cargo security.

  -- The security of additional cargo -- loaded in the boats or campers --
     was a significant issue, with 32 percent of respondents ranking
     moderate and 40 percent ranking poor or extremely poor.  This means
     coolers, lawn chairs, bicycles, and other typical cargo could easily
     fall into the path of an oncoming car.

  -- The condition of bungee cords was a major issue -- while 56 percent
     were in excellent condition and properly located to hold the cargo, 44
     percent were in moderate or poor condition and improperly located --
     meaning cords could easily snap or come unhooked and release cargo
     onto the roadway.

  -- Ratchet tie-downs were a problem for 39 percent of respondents, as
     those towing boats or ATVs/jet skis/motorcycles received moderate or
     worse marks for the condition and location of the tie-downs securing
     their cargo.

The "Towing Troubles" study was conducted with a representative sample of 523 respondents. Master Lock Tow Pros conducted inspections of vehicles towing a trailer, camper, or other items at NASCAR facilities, campgrounds, and boating destinations in June and July 2005. A copy of the inspection checklist was provided to the vehicle owner with safety recommendations.

About Master Lock

Master Lock is the leader in towing innovation and is the world's largest manufacturer of padlocks and related security products for automotive and outdoor needs, home and yard, contractors, campus, power sports and bike needs.

Master Lock Company is an operating unit of Fortune Brands, Inc., a leading consumer brands company with annual sales exceeding $7 billion. Headquartered in Lincolnshire, Ill., Fortune Brands , is included in the S&P 500 Index.

For more information on Master Lock products and more safe towing and cargo tips, visit http://www.masterlock.com/ .

The Finlay Family

2008-10-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

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