In 1971 J. Standard Baker Quoted " Drivers Towing Trailers  Are Four (4) Times As Unsafe As Those In Cars Alone! 

This is a excellent. I am sure Haley won't respond as her political motivates are to leave office to eye a possible US Senate run against Lindsey Graham. I'm all, though, a great letter with both passion and indisputable facts. Thanks for sharing.

Virginia helps stolen trailers..... So if I can provide "indisputable facts". Then why does Henrico County VA keeps trying to destroy our "indisputable facts' ? I thought that

We would be given respect instead of being destroyed ....

I have the facts and the solutions ...

The Stunning Letter.....No Response:

25 October 2016

The Honorable Nikki R. Haley
Office of the Governor
1205 Pendleton Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Governor Haley;

Great Job with Hurricane Matthew! [The video of school buses being utilized for good rather than swimming in salt water provided a thrill!]

I would humbly submit a public safety and public service thought for your consideration – #1) South Carolina is the stolen utility trailer capital of these United States #2) an inordinate number of owners of those trailers contain the entire assets of young businessmen or businesswomen – to mention a few: musical equipment, handyman – carpentry saws and such, motorized law equipment – everything necessary to keep the economy moving along and #3) another extremely common trailer thefts are of boy /girl / cub scout troupes/ church groups and the like all the result of contributions from citizens with good hearts.

I attach a printed version of a television report of 24 October 2016 of Charleston channel 5 story of “Camp Happy Days” enclosed utility trailer with up to “$20,000 worth of their supplies” that was stolen. In this case the goal of “Camp Happy Days” is to provide happiness for children 4 to 18 years old with Cancer. {I wonder if the thieves knew?} { http://www.live5news.com/story/33468386/non-profit-empowering-kids-with-cancer-searching-for-stolen-trailer-with-up-to-20000-of-equipment}

The reality is that the State of South Carolina is somewhat complicit in inflicting damage to these good hearted folk and budding entrepreneurs. South Carolina chooses not to title trailers meaning very few have license plates attached …. Or even a means for law enforcement officers to make effective inquiry of the various computerized lookouts / wants for stolen property. Think about it … as a Highway Patrolman on I-95 coming behind a utility trailer headed to a flea market in Florida to sell “stuff”, there is no method WHATSOEVER for that officer to make a computerized inquiry to establish reasonable cause which leads to probable cause and an arrest / recovery. YOU ALL hamstring law enforcement inflicting further harm on your residents.

Sorry, I get a bit carried away when I know much of this is preventable. Simple changes in state law to require titling, trailer vehicle identification numbers – even if homemade, a requirement that trailers might do well to have rear red tail lights, or even a public information program broadcasting the virtue of the GPS transponders that can be activated when stolen would save many non-profits catastrophic losses.

I know the advocate Ron Melancon of DangerousTrailers.org may be a bit over eager, but he has all sorts of documentation of the numbers of trailers lost out of South Carolina as well as the insight of what to do to save your citizens from the really emotional distress in finding their utility / atv / livestock / enclosed trailers absent without owner’s permission. Ron has several pages including one dedicated to the several Law Enforcement Officers killed when trailers become unhitched generally to travel across medians as unguided death machines succeeding in piercing good Officer’s bodies. I append his internet pages as well as some observations of the pitiful failings of South Carolina laws…

I encourage you to make a serious inquiry into the validity of these charges, the cost to insurance companies, the emotional cost to victims, and the ease of solution to the problem …. The General Assembly passing another law .. this is one that will provide massive return on investment!

Respectfully

Tim Houghtaling

Formerly of Lexington, SC

105 Redacted

Redacted

803.Redacted

Tim Redacted Ask Us @gmail.com

www.dangeroustrailers.org
www.stolentrailers.org
www.dangeroushayrides.org
www.paradesafety.org

On August 13, 2010 returning to USC, Charlie Meador was killed by a utility trailer that detached, became a unguided missile crossed the median taking out Charlies car. Several safety violations were observed including a lack of safety chains. Charlie's family has attempted to work with the General Assembly to pass legislation requiring safety equipment on small trailers weighing less than 2,500 pounds.
What do they get for all the families efforts? HB 3203 to amend Section 56-5-5150 entitled "Charlie's Law" that doesn't even provide the definition of a "utility trailer", calls the safety lynch pins "hinch pins", mandates safety chains/cables "must be of sufficient strength to maintain connection of the towed vehicle to the pulling vehicle under all conditions" without the faintest thought of how "sufficient strength" can be defined or an officer able to interpret and enforce.

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