Boat trailer comes loose - tragic.
It just happened not far away from me, I do not see any chains .... http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/boat-trailer-slips-off-truck-fatally-strikes-si-cyclist/ar-AAeiF5A?li=BBgzzfc
Forum Discussion
1. The police are looking at the hitch in the photo, as part of the investigation. they are not necessarily hooking it up so the driver can continue on home. The truck is a black Toyota, as stated in the article as having been towing the boat.
2. Many boat trailers are not required to have brakes. Obviously, if they don't have brakes, the can't have a break-away system.
3. I have seen the combination hitches with both 2 inch and 2 5/16 balls. They are quite common around here.
4. I don't see any evidence of safety chains, either. Of course, considering the way some trailers are built, it is entirely possible that the safety chains broke away when the trailer came loose! Too many trailers are built with the safety chain attaching point nothing more than a piece of 3/16 cold rolled mild steel rod welded to the tongue! I like to use 5/16 high strength chain attached to the tongue with at least 1/2 inch Grade 5 bolts.
5. Tragic, for sure, that a death occurred.
However, we should all be aware that it doesn't take much blunt force trauma to severely injure or kill a totally unprotected person. A runaway bicyclist can also hit and injure/kill someone. That would be rare, it is true, but how rare is a runaway boat/trailer?
2. Many boat trailers are not required to have brakes. Obviously, if they don't have brakes, the can't have a break-away system.
3. I have seen the combination hitches with both 2 inch and 2 5/16 balls. They are quite common around here.
4. I don't see any evidence of safety chains, either. Of course, considering the way some trailers are built, it is entirely possible that the safety chains broke away when the trailer came loose! Too many trailers are built with the safety chain attaching point nothing more than a piece of 3/16 cold rolled mild steel rod welded to the tongue! I like to use 5/16 high strength chain attached to the tongue with at least 1/2 inch Grade 5 bolts.
5. Tragic, for sure, that a death occurred.
However, we should all be aware that it doesn't take much blunt force trauma to severely injure or kill a totally unprotected person. A runaway bicyclist can also hit and injure/kill someone. That would be rare, it is true, but how rare is a runaway boat/trailer?
