Death by dangerous driving

[Storrsy]

Eye opening to check when ppl think they’re helping by hitching up for you etc

It is and I remember my instructor clearly telling me to always do yours checks before driving away with a trailer regardless of who has hitched it on previously. No help to the op now but a very unfortunate situation for all involved.

 

[AHPP]

Fair play to you for posting. You’ve certainly made me think.

Not to be overcautious but have you checked with your legal team as to whether you should be posting about what happened? Something that seems unimportant could come back to haunt you when being put to you by the prosecution.

 

[Vinpetrol]

I pulled up in my mates yard about 6 months ago , I needed a quick shot oh his flat bed ifor . He connected on trailer . He is younger than me so had done trailer test. He's very thorough regarding anything towing and has 5 guys working with him who he has put through test as well . His yard has a steep slope out of the drive. As I drove down it the trailer came off and clattered back door on van . He swears to this day it was on properly . It's made me check every time now though . This thread is an example of a worst case scenario but sometimes they happen . I feel sorry for the op and worse for the guy on the bikes family

 

[V8Druid]

However it came detached. Shouldn't the breakaway cable lock the brakes on? I've often wondered why a suitably rated chain isn't a requirement in the event of a breakaway too but perhaps there a reason for that
Makes you wonder now they have cancelled the trailer licencing how do you prove you have had adequate training to tow/hitch a trailer in the event of something like this....

on a commercial yes, but on a lighter tow vehicle it's break away only as a chain is going to most likely increase the problems, possibly overturning the tow vehicle .. as said the break away should pull the brakes on hard

No in my experience quite the opposite. As you will be increasing the drawbar weight. I have seen a twin axle plant trailer come off on a speed bump the van went over fine but when the tfirst axle went over the rear axle lifted off the ground pulling the tow hitch off. The correct morning test had been done but the van was empty so lifted with the trailer. Obviously the weight in the van was enough to pull the coupling apart.

One last thing weren't some of the Bradley hitches imperial??

yes there were 2" couplings but a lot longer than 20 years ago .. they'd all but disappeared in the late '70s .. a 2" coupling would jump off a 50mm ball and a 50mm coupling wouldn't go on a 2" ball ....IIRC I have an old 2" un-braked delta coupling here somewhere off a static caravan.

 

[V8Druid]

Fair play to you for posting. You’ve certainly made me think.

Not to be overcautious but have you checked with your legal team as to whether you should be posting about what happened? Something that seems unimportant could come back to haunt you when being put to you by the prosecution.

that could explain why I can't see the first post .. looks to have been edited out

 

[DaveDCB]

Had a trailer come off on our old yard once, pretty steep yard, hitched it up and pulled up the yard and it came off, breakaway saved any further issues.. was all put on correctly, since then the hitch is always locked on so nothing can come off!

 

[Regy53]

In the intrest of the OP Iv locked this .

I can’t see the edit but can assume what’s happened . Like others when I did my trailer test I was also told to hitch it up then drop the jockey wheel back down and wind it to make sure the hitch is connected correctly . I do this every time still to this day ( 15 years ago I passed )