Hauling and Towing Safety
Hauling Safety: Secure Your Load
Drivers, it is your responsibility to properly secure any object you are transporting outside your vehicle's cabin. Items that are not securely fastened down are a safety risk for others on the road. Objects that fall from vehicles can collide with other vehicles or pedestrians, causing serious injuries or death.
Statistics
Debris on the road caused 379 crashes in Kansas in 2022.
From 2016–2020, approximately 16,878 people across the United States were injured per year when a vehicle collided with another object while on the road.
During this same time period, passenger vehicles accounted for 81% of crashes in which cargo was not properly secured.
From 2016-2020, there were an average of 732 fatalities per year when a vehicle collided with another object that was not properly secured.
Facts
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws regarding unsecured loads on non-commercial motor vehicles.
Additionally, the vehicle’s driver is responsible for its safe operation, including the condition of the vehicle. That includes properly securing any objects or debris that could separate from the moving vehicle, creating dangerous obstacles for others on or near the road.
Unsecured loads endanger other drivers and pedestrians, as these create the potential for a crash when a driver has to swerve to avoid a collision with loose items.
Violation of unsecured load laws can carry state-specific penalties of up to $5,000. Laws state that cargo should be tied down in such a way as to prevent anything from dropping, shifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping the vehicle.
Tips for Safe Hauling
1. Tie cargo down with rope, netting, or straps.
2. Tie large objects directly to your vehicle or trailer.
3. Consider covering the entire load with a sturdy tarp or netting.
4. Don’t overload your vehicle or trailer.
5. Always double-check your load to make sure it’s secure.
Before transporting a load, ask yourself these questions:
1. Is there any chance of debris or cargo falling or blowing out of my vehicle?
2. Is my load secured at the back, sides, and top?
3. What would happen to my load if I had to brake suddenly, if I hit a bump, or if another vehicle hit me?
4. Would I want my loaded vehicle driving through my own neighborhood?
5. Would I feel safe if I were driving behind my vehicle?
Towing Safety
Driving
The driver is responsible for selecting the right tow vehicle and trailer for the load, hitching the unit, loading, steering, speed, and braking. They must remain alert and ready to respond to anything on the road while watching to make sure their trailer is safely following along. Drivers should be awake, aware, and focused while limiting distractions.
Hitching
There are various devices used to hitch a trailer to a tow vehicle. Understanding hitches and the proper hitch for the trailer and load is important to ensuring a safe and smooth towing experience.
After deciding the appropriate hitch system, properly hitching the trailer to the tow vehicle will help to ensure the combination remains attached, and should the coupler fail, correctly attached safety chains will be your next line of defense.
Loading
Remember, the first step in loading should be to read your trailer owner's manual and follow its instructions.
A properly loaded trailer is easier to control. The most common reason for losing control of your trailer is improper loading. Weight distribution, both front-to-back and side-to-side, is crucial.
Some trailers may be built for hauling specific items, such as a cement mixer, and the trailer owner's manual might advise a specific loading technique for safe towing that does not fall within general rules of thumb.
The Right Tow Vehicle And Trailer Combination
Towing a trailer will impact how your vehicle drives. The larger the towed object in comparison to the tow vehicle, the greater the performance on impact there will be.
Knowing what your vehicle is capable of towing is just as important as selecting the right trailer.
Vehicle manufacturers provide a “tow rating” which is the maximum weight of the towed trailer when fully loaded. The GVWR of the trailer should never exceed this tow rating, even if the trailer will not be fully loaded.
Trailer Parts
Understanding the many parts of your trailer is important to being ready to tow safely. It is important to understand the importance of adequate brakes, properly inflated and rated tires, crossed safety chains, and working lights in order to tow safely.
Trailer Maintenance
Regular trailer maintenance is critical to ensuring the longevity of your trailer, as well as making sure you are able to tow to your destination safely.
Before towing, make sure every part of your trailer is in safe working order. Worn or broken trailer parts can cause loss of control and an injury to or death of someone behind you may be the result. You must inspect, maintain and service your trailer regularly to insure safe and reliable operation.