The tragic deaths of a father and his three year old daughter in southeastern Minnesota reminds us of the need for safety when traveling with a trailer. The two were killed when a trailer came loose, traveled across the medium, and rammed into their SUV. Sympathy goes out for their family and friends. Hopefully, all travelers will learn from what happened.
Previously, I addressed the issue of boat trailers with:
Fishing Opener: Think About Getting The Boat Safely From The Road To The Water, Mike Bryant | May 15, 2010 1:55 AM
It is important that we look at safety with all trailers. The California Department of Motor Vehicles provides the following checklist:
Perform a safety inspection before each trip. Make sure that:
- The pin securing the ball mount to the receiver is intact.
- The hitch coupler is secured.
- Spring bar hinges are tight with the safety clips in place (load equalizer or weight distributing hitches).
- Safety chains are properly attached.
- The electrical plug is properly installed.
There is also a great video series from eHow that breaks down the process into short videos.
The Minnesota State Patrol is reporting that this type of incident isn’t uncommon. In most cases the trailer ends up in the ditch. It seems that with safety this type of thing just shouldn’t happen.
