Road safety chiefs urge safe use of trailers
The Minister for Transport has backed a safety campaign promoting the safe use of towing trailers, horseboxes and boats.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has produced an online guide and short video, demonstrating checks to make sure your horsebox is safely attached.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OxXLZ
The safety campaign is a result of months of lobbying by the parents of three-year-old Freddie Hussey, who was killed by a runaway trailer in January 2014.
Freddie was walking with his mother in Bedminster, Bristol, when a 2-tonne trailer became detached from a travelling Land Rover Defender. The trailer mounted the kerb before hitting Freddie. Tragically, he died of his injuries shortly afterwards at Bristol Children’s Hospital.
Investigations found the trailer’s handbrake lever was in the wrong place. Driver Tony Davies avoided a custodial sentence, instead receiving community service and a driving ban when convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.
“It is absolutely essential that drivers carry out a few quick and simple checks to make sure their trailer is safe, so we do not see a repeat of this awful tragedy,” stated Transport Minister, Andrew Jones.
The Department for Transport last week launched a ‘Tow Safe 4 Freddie’ campaign, raising awareness of the rules for towing trailers, including how to attach them properly. It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure any equipment they are towing is correctly fitted, secured and roadworthy.
Key safety points to towing a trailer include:
– Making sure the brakes are working correctly
– Checking the lights are undamaged and working correctly
– Checking that the coupling height is correct
– Using a breakaway cable or secondary coupling
For more information, read ‘Tow a trailer with a care: safety checks’
Read H&C’s ultimate guide to towing a trailer