Today's Headlines

LLD · Senior Member

Today's Headlines

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I have driven that section of the M1 quite a few times now and most times shake my head in shock as to the speed SOME van towers travel at. I will add that it's not just that road either.

I hope all are OK now.

Keep Safe on the roads and out there.

Long Weekend · Guru

At least the whole lot didn't roll.

I watched it several times but couldn't see brake lights come on - at least at the beginning before it got too far away.

There was a comment on another site that in those circumstances the driver should have accelerated. But he could also have manually applied the van brakes with the electronic controller. I have only had to do that once and the jerk was very pronounced - it sure pulled the van straight.

Murray

Phil C · Guru

Hi there, there is only one thing to say about that... SLOW DOWN!!!!

Glad that nobody was killed.

Cheers

aussie_paul · Guru

ESC would have helped that idiot for sure. Unbelievable..

Aussie Paul. smile

aussie_paul · Guru

The driver should have just touched the brakes enough to activate the van brakes and not apply tug brakes!!

That would have straightened him up immediatly.

IMHO to try and reach the electronic brake controller, in most vehicles, while handling the emergency could make matters worse.

Aussie Paul. smile

Wizardofoz · Guru

Very true, perhaps having the brakes set favouring the caravan so that it brakes more than the tow vehicle is a handy safety factor as well.

macka17 · Guru

You normally set the trailer brakes to come on first, always.
and practice with the jacobs (which you DID place in convenient position. Didn't you..)
Till you can use without thinking.
I often roll into traffic lights and intersections on hand brake.
Just for practice and natural hand positioning for, without thinking.

Did you see that fibreglass van that rolled.

Instant half the van disintegrated. Gone.no more.
a zillion bits.

All these do, is show all the more.
That ALL drivers starting out in towing.
should. BY LAW. have a towing education class.
on how to, when, and why.

No need for licence with vans to say 20ft.
. just an endorsement sticky on back of current licence.

Vans over say 20 ft. should have Light truck at least.

5th Wheelers should ALL have a semi licence.

Motorhomes.(full, not campervans) depending on size.
should have Light truck or HG. licences.

They as big as trucks, and truck drivers have to go through training.
Why not old farts too.

Driver Training, and vehicle weights HAVE to come in. Sooner the better.
for safety's sake alone.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

I agree with mackas sentiments about driver education but I have some issues with some of the suggested solutions -

1) "all new drivers starting out in towing should by law have a towing education class" - just because you have been doing it for awhile doesn't make you competent.
2) I have purchased a van that is 21 foot external length because it was designed with a front boot, if I had bought the same van with a tunnel boot it would have been 20 foot so it doesn't make much sense to me that this would have then changed a licensing requirement.
3) I would also argue that in terms of controlling the load if I was towing a 15 foot van with a small vehicle I would be running a similar risk as if I was towing a 25 foot van with a large vehicle.

No problem with driver education but it should include everyone regardless of the size of their load or the time that they have been doing it. It may have just been good fortune rather than skill that has allowed people to avoid a mishap, all of the engineering aids such as ESC are great but you still need to have a basic level of competence before being let loose on our roads.