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Initiative promotes safety tips to prevent trailer-related crashes and save lives
AUSTIN — Whether it is taking a boat on a lake or operating a business, millions of Texans hitch a trailer to their vehicle every year. Knowing how to safely attach or tow a trailer can save lives. That is why TxDOT is urging drivers to learn how to properly attach a trailer and drive safely, once it is attached.
Wife and mother of three Kelly Hall of Tyler was tragically killed on March 8, 2021, when a food trailer became unhitched from the truck that was towing it and struck her vehicle.
To help avoid crashes like these, Tx-DOT is sharing these safety tips:
Choosing the correct equipment
• Check your vehicle’s tow rating in the owner’s manual to confirm it can tow the trailer’s weight when fully loaded.
• Ensure your hitch ball is the correct size and capacity for the coupler, trailer and load. Hitch balls and couplers are stamped with their size and maximum weight capacities. Improper ball size or capacity could cause the trailer to detach from the towed vehicle.
• Check the tires’ pressure on the tow vehicle and trailer, including spare tires. Your vehicle’s tires may require a higher pressure while towing. Check the vehicle owner’s manual.
Tips for safely hitching a trailer
• Verify each part of the hitch system is in good condition.
• Ask a friend or coworker to help you line up the vehicle and trailer.
• Determine the appropriate rise or drop of the ball mount. The trailer should ride parallel to the ground when being towed to ensure stability. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to properly attach the coupler to the ball mount and install a safety pin. Double-check that the hitch is secured properly before towing.
• Always use safety chains. They are required by law and are your first line of defense if the trailer detaches. Make sure the safety chains are properly crisscrossed and connected. Check that the trailer lights, running lights and brake lights are working.
• Properly distribute and balance your trailer load weight and secure all cargo.
Tips for driving safely when towing a trailer
• Slow down, stay alert and leave plenty of stopping distance. It will take longer to stop with a trailer than with a vehicle alone.
• Watch for trailer sway. If you see the trailer swinging back and forth, remove your foot from the gas and gently apply the trailer brakes until the swaying stops.
• Take extra care when turning or changing lanes.
TxDOT’s Be Safe. Drive Smart. campaign will spread these messages across the state to help raise awareness of trailer safety and how to attach and tow a trailer.
Be Safe. Drive Smart. is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.
The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, maritime, rail and public transportation across the state. Connecting You with Texas
