Some drivers are better at towing trailers behind them than others. We’ve all been stuck behind someone who isn’t as cautious when towing a trailer. This can lead to accidents, damage and even bodily harm for those sharing the road with a trailer. We have some safety tips for drivers dealing with trailers on the road to avoid accidents and issues when traveling, no matter the destination.
Car Safety Tips to Follow When Sharing the Road
If you’re driving near a trailer on the road, pay attention to whether it sways. If it does, you want to be cautious if passing or driving next to it, because if it becomes uncontrollable, you may be hit. Sometimes those towing may not even realize how much sway can cause issues for those around them, and if that’s the case, paying attention to the road can save your car and your life in adverse conditions.
When driving behind a trailer, make sure you have plenty of space between your front bumper and its rear. If the driver must make a sudden stop, you may not always be able to tell if it’s an older model without brake lights attached. Or, if the brake lights are unattached or become dislodged during a trip, the driver might not notice, and this is why you must be extra attention when driving behind a trailer.
Drivers towing a trailer will have blind spots. Unfortunately, there are few things the driver can do about these spots. They’ll vary towing setup to setup, so you want to avoid driving in these blind spots if possible. If you’re passing a trailer, pass the trailer, don’t idle next to it and pass at your leisure.
Whenever you pass a trailer and its towing vehicle, always ensure you see the front of the towing vehicle in your rear-view mirror before actually passing in front of them. This ensures that you’re completely ahead of the towing vehicle if they speed up and can’t stop as you pass in front of them.
Even if a towing vehicle is using extendable mirrors or other features to see to the side and behind it, it may not be enough, especially during turns. Never get too close to a trailer making a turn in urban areas and never, ever try to squeeze your way between a trailer making a turn and making the turn yourself. Since trailers and towing vehicles need a wider area to make a safe turn, you never want to find yourself in the space between.
In some situations, if you cut in front of a trailer, the easiest thing for the towing vehicle to do is to hit you. Depending on what’s in the trailer, how many people are in the towing vehicle and what type of space is on the road between your car and it, hitting you can often cause less damage than trying to stop.