Accident rates

[Bob_Vaughn]

Which are involved in more accidents motor homes or 5th wheels / travel trailers and could the weak link be brake systems??

[atreis]

One first has to define "accident". e.g. fender bender? Someone else hitting the trailer/RV? The trailer/RV driver rear-ending someone, or turning left in front of someone, or another type of accident that really doesn't have anything to do with being in an RV or towing a trailer? Or are the only accidents worth considering those that cause bodily injury, or roll the trailer/RV (much harder for a MH)?

I don't believe there are good statistics available for anything other than accidents that result in fatalities:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/NCSA
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/general-statistics/fatalityfacts/state-by-state-overview

And the number involving trailers is so low that it doesn't reach statistical significance, and is not tracked as a separate category.
http://www.allcountries.org/uscensus/1037_fatal_motor_vehicle_accidents_national_summary.html
Motorhomes fall under "Other Vehicles". Cars pulling trailers aren't tracked separately, and there are other things that also fall under "Other Vehicles" such as ATVs.

Personally I've never had a bake system malfunction in any of my trailers that wasn't caused by me forgetting to plug in the pigtail (which I've done twice in 15 years). I'd bet (but there are no statistics available to back it up) that far more accidents are a result of either people cutting others off (forgetting how long they are) then over-compensating, or caused by improper hookup - loading/balance/uncontrolled sway/poor hitch configuration and similar issues, than are a result of brake system failures, defects, or inadequacies.

[avan]

Bob Vaughn wrote:
...and could the weak link be brake systems??

I think the weak links are the car drivers who have the philosophy of "I'll just pass this sucker before I have to abruptly cut in front of it, slam on my brakes so I can make my exit."

[run100]

DrewE wrote:

run100 wrote:
Not sure of the stats regarding rv accidents, but last week I learned some eye-opening stats for Arizona roads. For the year reported:
- 40,000 fatalities
- 2.3-million debilitating injuries

Those are national statistics, not Arizona statistics. The population of Arizona is around 6.7 million. One third of the population does not suffer a debilitating injury from traffic accidents each year.

Thanks for catching my error Drew! See what happens when I try putting together a few sentences after my bedtime?! What I meant to write was "stats on American roads."

My takeaway from the training - be mindful of your speed, adjust for any and all unfavorable conditions, avoid distractions (cell phones, gps, etc.), be courteous on the road and don't drink & drive.

[fj12ryder]

rockhillmanor wrote:
It depends WHERE you live and travel. I've been snowbirding for several years and then full time. I travel the 'commonly used snowbird routes'.

More commonly used roads by RV's so of course the more heavily the concentration of RV's. Just take a spin on I75 during the coming and going of the snowbirds sometime and watch the carnage!

So that is why I've seen SO many, where others who live in different parts of the US may never see one.

I also haul horses. With a truck and the MH.
You won't see THOSE TT's flipped over or jacknifed.

First of all they carry precious cargo and those that don't know how to tow, 'hire' people to do it!

They don't just jump in hook up not knowing how to tow like a newbie RV person will. :W

Those last couple of statements may be a bit of a stretch. One of the only trailer accident I can remember seeing was a horse trailer in the ditch.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

Filed my first RV insurance claim this morning. Had golfball sized hail for 10 min or so last night at the COE campground northeast of Dallas in Wylie. Worst I can see is broken is the external cover over the shower skylight.

Class A next to us had covers torn off AC's and coil fins beat up badly, along with driver's side rearview mirror plastic broken and glass broken - and two windows broken.

We were lucky. (However the TV is badly damaged. Bring 4 years old, it may be totaled.)

[DrewE]

run100 wrote:
Not sure of the stats regarding rv accidents, but last week I learned some eye-opening stats for Arizona roads. For the year reported:
- 40,000 fatalities
- 2.3-million debilitating injuries
Top causes:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving (cell phone use, gps, grooming, eating, etc.)
- Alcohol and/drugs

Everyone, please be safe out there!

Those are national statistics, not Arizona statistics. The population of Arizona is around 6.7 million. One third of the population does not suffer a debilitating injury from traffic accidents each year.

I do heartily agree with the admonition to be safe out there.

[rockhillmanor]

IDoMyOwnStunts wrote:
I'd like to see a comparison of general RV accidents to boat and utility trailer accidents. I've seen quite a few boat trailer accidents around here, but it's been a long time since I've seen a TT/FW/MH accident.

I've only seen a single horse trailer accident around here about 10 years ago, and it's something I never want to see again. It occurred where SR 8 and US 101 meet just west of Olympia. Somebody took a curve too fast and put the horse trailer on the side. Simply awful.

It depends WHERE you live and travel. I've been snowbirding for several years and then full time. I travel the 'commonly used snowbird routes'.

More commonly used roads by RV's so of course the more heavily the concentration of RV's. Just take a spin on I75 during the coming and going of the snowbirds sometime and watch the carnage!

So that is why I've seen SO many, where others who live in different parts of the US may never see one.

I also haul horses. With a truck and the MH.
You won't see THOSE TT's flipped over or jacknifed.

First of all they carry precious cargo and those that don't know how to tow, 'hire' people to do it!

They don't just jump in hook up not knowing how to tow like a newbie RV person will. :W

[run100]

Not sure of the stats regarding rv accidents, but last week I learned some eye-opening stats for Arizona roads. For the year reported:
- 40,000 fatalities
- 2.3-million debilitating injuries
Top causes:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving (cell phone use, gps, grooming, eating, etc.)
- Alcohol and/drugs

Everyone, please be safe out there!

[wilber1]

Don't know but i get passed by a lot of motorhomes towing other vehicles and I never seem to be passing any of them.

[down_home]

I've seen several/many Fifth Wheel/TT wrecks, behind s small SUVS and light duty pickups,particularily, in North Florida heading north and south on I75 from split at the I10 area and toward Orlando. I don't think, personally, I've seen one Mh wreck.

[IDoMyOwnStunts]

I'd like to see a comparison of general RV accidents to boat and utility trailer accidents. I've seen quite a few boat trailer accidents around here, but it's been a long time since I've seen a TT/FW/MH accident.

I've only seen a single horse trailer accident around here about 10 years ago, and it's something I never want to see again. It occurred where SR 8 and US 101 meet just west of Olympia. Somebody took a curve too fast and put the horse trailer on the side. Simply awful.

[Tvov]

So many people tell me how well their TT or 5th tows.... "can't even feel it back there at 75mph" "Was cruising at 80mph and it felt great" "lol, we made GREAT time getting home!"... and on and on.

I try to politely bring up sway, tire blowouts, etc but usually it just goes in one ear and out the other. What's gets me is that a lot of these folks are experienced with trailers, trucks, heavy equipment and towing in general - but get them on the highway with a camper, and zoom!

I slowed down one friend by pointing out the potential fuel mileage increase by slowing down. He didn't believe me, until he tried it, and was amazed. Now he tows right around 65mph.

[rockhillmanor]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
When I was in the towing/recovery business for a number of years, we cleaned up significantly more 5'ver and TT accident scenes than we did motorhomes. With a somewhat educated guess, I'd say easily half of the non-MH accidents were caused by a combination of "not enough truck" syndrome and driver inexperience.

X2
For every 'experienced' driver that knows how to tow and tows with a proper vehicle,.....

there are 10 others on the road who just picked up their 'first' RV TT/FW and have 'never towed before' and of course add to that dangerous equation the salesman that sold it to them that said "sure your truck can tow this, sign here".

[pitch]

One thing I do see more of is MH with top corner damage. Most often right rear and evenly distributed between the front corners.