DVSA safe towing campaign

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Thought some folks might be interested to contribute to this DVSA safe towing campaign. There's a link at the bottom.

 

3-year-old Freddie Hussey was killed by an unsafe trailer.

 

Freddie’s parents are urging all drivers to carry out basic safety checks each time they tow a trailer to avoid further tragedies.

 

You don’t need to be someone who tows trailers to help. Sign up to our Thunderclap campaign to help spread the message.

 

Thunderclap posts a one-time message to your Facebook or Twitter account at a specified time - in this case, Wednesday 7 December at 8:30pm. This is so the cause starts to ‘trend’ on social media websites, so more people become aware of it.

 

You’ll be helping to save lives if you sign up.

 

 

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/50569-save-lives-towsafe4freddie

[PC Treescapes]

Poinient reminder to me and the lads how important it's is to ensure the breakaway cable is attached properly, my son has just turned 4.

[peatff]

A 4 year old was killed in 2007 in Heage by a runaway trailer with ineffective brakes. I tow a small unbraked trailer but fitted a heavy cable to restrain it just in case.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

I have had a trailer come away once before. Can't figure how it happened. Part way through a journey, pulled away from a standing start at a roundabout and off it came. Brake away snapped but did it's job by applying the brake. Always check and double check now, even stop part way in a journey to check.

[treequip]

Thought some folks might be interested to contribute to this DVSA safe towing campaign. There's a link at the bottom.

 

You’ll be helping to save lives if you sign up.

 

 

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/50569-save-lives-towsafe4freddie

 

Good call Kevin

[leswold]

Is it legal to loop a cable/chain from the trailer to towball...is case the trailer hitch failed? Used to do this with an old trailer but someone thought it illegal.

[Ironbark]

yes, needs to be round a fixed part of the towing vehicle.

 

If you search on here, there was a link to a caravan website with all the details.

[roseyweb]

I had my bolts shear on my lorry hitch as documented in another thread, i think its really important that the breakaway cable is independently attached to the vehicle not looped over the ball

[Haironyourchest]

Only time mine jumped the ball was going up a long hill - safety chain with a ring over the ball saved it from ... perish the thought. Was a passenger when a loaded twin axel went AWOL and nearly took out an oncoming vehicle - saw this trailer overtaking us, kind of like "hey that looks like your trailer dude".... Luckily there was a bend ahead and it left the road....

[harrythecat178]

I had my bolts shear on my lorry hitch as documented in another thread, i think its really important that the breakaway cable is independently attached to the vehicle not looped over the ball

I think on a lorry due to bounce in rear end, the hitch needs to be sprung to prevent bolts shearing