From a report in the Los Angeles Times:
U-Haul, the nation’s largest provider of rental trailers, says it is “highly conservative” about safety. But a yearlong Times investigation, which included more than 200 interviews and a review of thousands of pages of court records, police reports, consumer complaints and other documents, found that company practices have heightened the risk of towing accidents.
The safest way to tow is with a vehicle that weighs much more than the trailer. A leading trailer expert and U-Haul consultant has likened this principle to “motherhood and apple pie.”
Yet U-Haul allows customers to pull trailers as heavy as or heavier than their own vehicles.
It often allows trailers to stay on the road for months without a thorough safety inspection, in violation of its own policies.
Bad brakes have been a recurring problem with its large trailers. The one Sternberg rented lacked working brakes.
Its small and midsize trailers have no brakes at all, a policy that conflicts with the laws of at least 14 states.
Safer Driving on the Bay Bridge
Wednesday, May 16, 2007; A14
The Bay Bridge accident is an example of our federal government’s lack of oversight. I traveled to Washington more than 3 1/2 years ago and spoke to officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with the help of my congressman, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.). I passionately encouraged NHTSA officials to take action on utility trailers.
Several problems imperil public safety. The outdated federal guideline that deals with lighting standards, which has not been updated since 1969, does not require working taillights, inspections, and training on how to tow and how to avoid hitching problems.
The guideline permits anybody to build a homemade trailer. It provides oversight only on utility trailers weighing more than 3,000 pounds. By producing a trailer that is 2,999 pounds, a company can avoid federal oversight.
On average, 450 people are killed a year in accidents involving utility trailers. NHTSA should do something about this immediately.
RON J. MELANCON
Glen Allen, Va.
Go to http://www.dangeroustrailers.com
Authorities To Educate Truckers On Trailer Safety
(KDKA) PITTSBURGH One year ago, a wood chipper broke loose and collided with a minivan, killing Spencer, Garret and Alaina Morrison on Route 8.
Ethan Morrison, who was four years old at the time, survived.
Now, with the support of Spencer’s widow, Nicole, authorities are trying to prevent those types of accidents from ever happening again.
The effort, which involves city, county and State police is called Operation Soar.
Law enforcement officials are banding together to educate truckers and to crack down on the ones who haven’t learned their lesson.
“These people are on notice. These companies are on notice. And the fines may be relatively minor, but they’re on notice they’ve created a dangerous situation on these highways, and if something bad happens from that, the ramifications, especially criminally, are much more substantial,” District Attorney Stephen Zappala said.
Local trucking companies call it a big step in the right direction.
“It’s always been one of our initiatives, to have safe operation of our vehicles,” Ron Uriah, from Pitt Ohio Express Trucking, said.
On Saturday at police headquarters on the North Side, crews will perform courtesy checks. The event is part of the effort that began along Route 8 after the Morrison tragedy.
Do you think her 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER SHOULD WITNESS HER MOTHER
GETTING HURT???
If this happend to your wife would you change your mind?
Where is the Insurance Indusry???
By John B. Carpenter
HERALD-NEWS EDITOR
A Spring City woman was seriously injured and had to have part of her right leg amputated after a runaway trailer crashed into her car Saturday afternoon.
Lori Overton, 43, of Spring City, was headed southbound in her 1994 Chevrolet pickup truck on Watts Bar Highway Saturday at about 3:40 p.m. Overton’s 6-year-old daughter was seated beside her in a secured booster seat.
Michael Allen Garrison, 28, also of Spring City was driving an Isuzu pickup truck north on Watts Bar Highway towing a large, double-axle trailer, about 16-18 feet long. The empty trailer’s tongue came off the truck’s ball hitch, and the trailer, which was not secured by safety chains, crossed the center line and crashed into Overton’s truck, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Phillip Dunn.
The trailer’s tongue penetrated the driver’s side of Overton’s truck and badly damaged her right leg. Her truck came to rest against the guardrail, with the trailer in the middle of the road.
Garrison stopped his pickup, got out and checked the damage, then got back in his truck and drove away, Dunn said.
Neither Garrison, nor his passenger, Jennifer McCampbell, 22, of Spring City, was injured in the crash.
Overton and her daughter were both transported by LifeForce medical helicopter to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga where surgeons were forced to remove part of Overton’s right leg. She was in serious but stable condition Monday, and her daughter was scheduled to be released after receiving treatment for minor injuries, Dunn said.
Garrison turned himself in at the Rhea County Jail Sunday evening. Dunn arrested him and charged him with driving on a suspended license and leaving the scene of an accident with injuries. Garrison’s arraignment was scheduled for March 30, and he was released from the Rhea County Jail on a $13,000 bond.
John Carpenter can be reached at jcarpenter@xtn.net.
Go here to see more traielrs that have problems.
Why do we allow this on our highways???
Mr. Melancon sent along many more comments, much the same. It seems there is an issue here and I applaud his concern, but I figured you could follow the link (his name) if you wanted more.