Thread: Trailer kills woman

A roadworthiness certificate states that "at the time of the inspection" the vehicle was roadworthy. What happens 5 minutes after is not covered by the inspection certificate.
The whole responsibility debate boils down to the driver. He/she is responsible for the safety and condition of any vehicle under his/her charge.
If it's not satisfactory, don't hire it. Its your licence, your car, your responsibility and your life.
Regards
Glen

I live close to a boat ramp and on any day there would be 25% or more of trailers or vehicle combination that are not roadworthy.
Yesterday I did a walk around of the car park and found -
2 trailers that had there brake units removed and hydraulic lines cut.
1 trailer with a bent axle.
3 trailers with broken lights
2 vehicles that weren't rated to tow the boats weight
many bald tyres.
2 trailers that needed break away brakes
list goes on let alone the state of the tow vehicles.
And one day there will be a repeat of whats just happened in victoria.
Its a disgrace.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

My experiences of hiring car carrying trailers has not been good. Two in a row had lights out of action, illegal worn tyres, and one had a flat spare (bald) tyre for which the owner tried to charge me a puncture fee of $20 on returning the trailer. By this stage I was having one of my tact free days and the discussion standards deteriorated.

The next time I engaged the services of a hiring company who delivered the trailer to my place. Again, lights not fully operative, no fluid in the master cylinder for the over-ride brakes, two of four road tyres underinflated, two of the five worn to the point of illegality, the spare dangerously so. Carrying capacity of the passenger car tyres fitted inadequate for the capacity of the trailer.

I told the driver to take it back and bring one that checks out. He thought I was being a bit picky, "It's just a trailer, not a Rolls Royce". Reversing the Eftpos charge by mobile 'phone changed his attitude quickly.

Yeah we have had similar. On one occassion we hired one to pick up a mates ute. One tyre blew out and we had to use the spare. The tyres that were on it apparently were not rated for a car trailer.
When we dropped it back the rogues charged my mate $70 for the tyre damage which he paid and then came out and told me. I spat it and went in as he was a bit naive and demanded his money back from them. They initially refused, but then I told them they were using unsuitable and unroadworthy tyre and they would be receiving a bill for my time to change the tyre, brake fluid as there was none in the master cylindr and light globes that were replaced and I would be getting the local RTA inspector to come and inspect the trailer and tyre load ratings, plus dodgy brakes and lights. They agreed to refund the charge. 6 months later someone else hired the trailer and nothing had changed.

I had a similar one a few years ago in Adelaide Craig. Hired a car trailer to get rid of an old Holden Wagon from father in law's back yard. On the way to the tip, it rained, and the trailer ended up overtaking me on a bend. Luckily, never hit anything.

When I returned the trailer to the garage shortly after, I demanded a refund of my money as all 4 tyres on it were balder than I am. They refused. So, as it was still hooked up, I jumped back into the car. The garage owner came out and asked what I was doing. I replied that the trailer was still on hire, as I had paid a full day's hire on it, and that I was just going for a quick drive up to the local police station to let them have a look over it.

I got my money back.

Originally Posted by xrayxray

I live close to a boat ramp and on any day there would be 25% or more of trailers or vehicle combination that are not roadworthy.
...<snip>

<snip>... list goes on let alone the state of the tow vehicles.
And one day there will be a repeat of whats just happened in victoria.
Its a disgrace.

How many boats on trailers would meet ADRs?

• Over weight
• Over width
• Over height

I often wonder why boat trailers are not certified with their respective boats loaded on board. And special "multi boat trailer registration" for marinas and boat builders which need to carry a blue slip or similar declaration of the boats specifications Weight, height and beam and GTM. After all, in NSW towing "A frames", need to have an engineers certificate for the "A frame", another for the attachment to the towed vehicle and a third for the combination of towing vehicle and towed vehicle.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

How many boats on trailers would meet ADRs?

• Over weight
• Over width
• Over height

I often wonder why boat trailers are not certified with their respective boats loaded on board. And special "multi boat trailer registration" for marinas and boat builders which need to carry a blue slip or similar declaration of the boats specifications Weight, height and beam and GTM. After all, in NSW towing "A frames", need to have an engineers certificate for the "A frame", another for the attachment to the towed vehicle and a third for the combination of towing vehicle and towed vehicle.

Despite the examples quoted, you have to remember that probably the vast majority of towed boats are light weight, narrower than the car towing and lower than the car towing - think sailing dinghies, "tinnies" etc. While the mix will be very different according to what launching ramp you visit, requiring certification for the boat on a particular trailer would be the same as requiring certification for every different load on a box trailer, and would just about destroy the trailer boat industry.

Everything that is being talked about in this thread is already against the law - what is needed (as in so many other areas) is enforcement of existing laws not new laws in an already grossly overlegislated state.

But even with the widespread infractions covered in this thread, trailer accidents are quite rare - and almost all would be avoided by common sense (such as decent safety chains and fittings) let alone staying legal.

(Most trailer accidents will be down to simple things like safety chains, tow hitch, tyre inflation and condition, load tiedowns, driving at sensible speeds, weight distribution etc, rather than being over width, over weight etc.)

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Despite the examples quoted, you have to remember that probably the vast majority of towed boats are light weight, narrower than the car towing and lower than the car towing - think sailing dinghies, "tinnies" etc. ...<snip>

<snip>
Everything that is being talked about in this thread is already against the law - what is needed (as in so many other areas) is enforcement of existing laws not new laws in an already grossly overlegislated state.
...<snip>

John

I hear everything you say, however the vast majority of boat trailers are used with a single privately owned boat. Then they are used as a boat shaped box trailer.

Having the trailer, with it's single boat and it's usual equipment (fuel, life jackets, safety equipment, etc) loaded for it's original registration/blue slip will have minimal impact on the trailer boat industry.

Enforcement of road rules in this day and age is a myth, Police are so under staffed, overwhelmed with legal paperwork and on such tight budgets they don't have the fuel to be out policing the roads. Just look at the number of cars driving with fog lights on every night is clear evidence of the lack of enforcement. Most people you talk to who have been fined for a traffic offence have received it from an automatic system, speed and stop light camera or a random testing station, where the Police cars are stationary not using fuel.

Diana

Originally Posted by bussy1963

What surprises me is a number of trailer manufacturers i have noticed only put one safety chain on new trailers. Surely this cant be ADR standard

Has been the standard in some states for many years now. I bought by 6x4 trailer in Alice Springs in the late 80's and it only had a single chain even back then - this was the new standard in SA and NT.

I still have the same trailer and now also a camper trailer in WA - both have single safety chains.

It's got me beat why they changed this - I always thought that crossing dual safety chains under the tow hitch offered at least the possibility of supporting the hitch and stopping it digging into the ground in the event of it coming off the tow vehicle.

Fortunately, I've never had one come off - but I was very close with the camper trailer in Tassie a couple of years ago when we snapped both rails of the draw bar almost all the way through. Both rails were broken up both sides and across the top, virtually where the draw bar meets the trailer (and had been welded). Fortunately, problem was discovered while unhooking in a caravan park, and also fortunately, van park owner was a retired boilermaker with a mig welder in his shed. I don't think any chain configuration would have saved us if these had completely broken through out on the highway.