Towing Safety Tips

TOWING

Brought to you by Lippert, parent company of CURT and Ranch Hand.

The leading cause of accidents both in towing and in normal driving situations is driver error. It is not faulty equipment. Some of the main reasons people get into accidents is because they are not paying attention, they are driving too fast, they are tailgating the person in front of them and so on.

The following are some simple safety rules and precautions to help promote safe driving while towing a trailer.

START WITH THE RIGHT VEHICLE, TRAILER AND EQUIPMENT

Other than the driver and passengers, the most important factor in towing is using the right tool for the job. You must consider the weight capacity of every component and decide whether or not it is safe to tow. Exceeding weight ratings isn’t just a risk for damaged equipment; it also opens the door for trailer sway, loss of control and risk of injury or even death. When a trailer’s weight is too much for a vehicle to manage, any amount of sway in the trailer will have a greater effect on the vehicle. Once a trailer starts to sway back and forth, if the vehicle cannot gain control of the situation, it won’t be long before the vehicle jackknifes.

Another thing to consider is your vehicle’s wheelbase. This is something that few drivers consider before hitching up. Often times, more horsepower under the hood is regarded as more towing power, but this is simply not the case. All too often, greater horsepower results in overconfidence, and this can lead to mistakes that are otherwise easily avoidable. A vehicle’s wheelbase is the distance from the center of the front wheel to the center of the rear wheel. Generally, the larger the wheelbase, the more stable the vehicle will be. When a vehicle with a shorter wheelbase attempts to tow too large of a trailer, trailer sway will have a greater effect on the vehicle. For this reason, when it comes to managing trailer sway, larger pickup trucks are typically better tow vehicles than others. If you have not yet purchased a tow vehicle, keep this in mind when making your decision. Remember, every vehicle has its limitations. While some are able to manage sway better, others are built to pull heavier loads. Both of these factors should be considered carefully.