TNGW1500SE wrote:
I'd like to know more. Were there safety chains on the trailer?
My boat trailer had hydraulic brakes and there was a small safety cable that applied the brakes if the trailer came loose. On my TT I had electric brakes. If the trailer came loose, no brakes would be applied. Looks like there could be some kind of system that applied the brakes if the trailer came loose.
Trains apply the brakes by default. The air holds the brakes "open". If an air line blows, the brakes are applied. Trailers are the other way around. Might be something to learn from trains.
Still wouldn't prevent all deaths but seems reasonable to investigate.
I always wonder why there's not trailer & hitch inspections required but here in Tennessee there's not even vehicle inspections. If it runs, you can drive it. Yearly vehicle inspections should be mandatory everywhere. There's people diving cars with bad tires, no brakes and ball joints ready to break. The only thing protecting you from them is a yellow line.
It's easy to play Monday morning quarterback on this, but a lot would have to go wrong for this to happen - most human related. The reporter said it was some sort of "mechanical failure" but....properly configured safety chains would have kept the thing attached to the tow vehicle. Properly configured emergency brake, charged battery and tether cable would have activated the brakes on the trailer once it became disconnected. No, it doesn't stop instantly but I'm thinking this setup was lacking some, if not all, backup safety devices. Again, it's easy to sit here and guess but we all go through great lengths to make sure we and others are protected when towing. It's hard to understand how this can happen when such safety measures are taken.
