Trailer safety stressed following stringent Garda stop
Sylvester Phelan
Mar 14, 2019, 1:39pm

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

A vehicle towing a trailer was stopped by Gardai yesterday morning (Wednesday, March 13) for improper trailer safety features.

Taking place in Co. Cork, the 4X4 vehicle was halted by members of An Garda Siochana’s Fermoy Roads Policing Unit.

Upon inspection it was found that the trailer had an unsuitable home-made breakaway cable which was deemed to be unsafe by the Gardai present.

Taking to social media, An Garda Siochana’s southern region Facebook page posed images of the trailer coupling and a message warning road-users to ensure safety features are in working order.

“Fermoy Roads Policing stopped this vehicle early this morning. The driver used a makeshift breakaway cable made from electrical cable.

Where trailer brakes are fitted, they must be in working order – including a breakaway cable. If the trailer becomes detached, the cable will activate the trailer brakes and allow the vehicle and trailer to stop safely.

“The nylon rope used as a secondary coupling here would cancel out the cable,” the Gardai said.

The Garda representatives advised road-users to check up on safety basics on the Road Safety Authority (RSA) website.

RSA basics include drivers knowing driver licencing rules for drawing light trailers, trailer road traffic regulations and information on what individual vehicles are capable of towing.

Further information on trailer road safety can be found here.

No Trailer Safety Stressed In The Entire United States!

12 States No Registrations

6 States No Safety Chain Law

Every State Allows Anybody To Build A "Homemade" Trailer

In Virginia We do have inspections on trailers over 3,000 GVWR But.......people know just one (1) Pound under 3,000 GVWR no inspections. 

The DMV Commissioner Of VA knows people re-register double axle trailers and remove the breaks and they allow these inspection cheats to register them as under 3,000 GVWR to avoid police enforcement of safety.

Why is Garda the only police force in the entire world addressing trailer safety?   We keep asking. 

Note:  England just jumped on board but we still wait to see how they enforce the law.

Over 40% of all trailers in Virginia do not have the breakaway cable connected properly or it is missing.  Our Law enforcement Officers do not care...and never pull over these trailers that have and will kill innocent drivers.