Dealing with a Trailer Accident

Having an accident with a van or trailer carrying a horse is a nightmare. Always do everything in your power to prevent a vehicle accident with horses on board (or anytime for that matter).
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Having an accident with a van or trailer carrying a horse is a nightmare. Always do everything in your power to prevent a vehicle accident with horses on board (or anytime for that matter). If you are uncomfortable with the trailer rig or the size of a van, seek out the tutelage of an experienced driver. Put in practice time driving your truck and trailer combination before your first equine passenger goes along on a trip. Remember to pay attention to the weather conditions–especially if you are preparing for a long journey.

Probably one of the biggest mistakes people make is to drive the van or trailer like a car. Remember that with all the extra weight, everything is increased (i.e., stopping distance, the number of car lengths you should be behind the vehicle in front of you, turning ratios, etc.). Your reaction time must be good, but don’t slam on the brakes if you can avoid it! Being safe means no map reading, no eating a fast food meal sprawled out across your lap, and NO calling on the cellular phone while you are driving. Remember, there is a 30% greater chance of being in an accident if you are driving and cell phoning at the same time. If you do not have a co-pilot to help with these things, pull over and stop before you pause to read the map, eat the snack, or make the call.

The extra weight of the trailer or van means the stopping distance could double. You should increase the space between your vehicle and the one you are following by one car-length for every speed increase of ten miles an hour. Be aware of approaching tractor-trailers; when they pass you the air currents will tend to push the vehicles apart. You should be ready to compensate for this. Try and watch what the cars are doing as far ahead as your line of sight will allow–if you see a brake light come on, decrease your speed–even if the vehicle immediately in front of you doesn’t slow down right away. The driver of the car up front might not be as aware of what’s going on as you are!).

Always watch for sharp curves and traffic getting on and off ramps–remember, any sudden moves you make will bounce your precious cargo around. If you do have to slow down fast, it generally is better to do it in a straight line rather than around a curve. In other words, if approaching a curve too fast, it is better to brake hard in a straight line and then enter the curve more gently than to brake hard while in the curve

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Written by:

Michael A. Ball, DVM, completed an internship in medicine and surgery and an internship in anesthesia at the University of Georgia in 1994, a residency in internal medicine, and graduate work in pharmacology at Cornell University in 1997, and was on staff at Cornell before starting Early Winter Equine Medicine & Surgery located in Ithaca, New York. He was an FEI veterinarian and worked internationally with the United States Equestrian Team. He died in 2014.

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