Runaway trailer hits two cars in Mount Pearl

Ron Melancon

- August 16, 2012 at 08:27:58

Your Government is just as incompetent as the United States Government.....go to www.dangeroustrailers.org and wake up. ALL GOVERNMENTS DO IS HAVE MEETINGS AND NOTHING GETS DONE.Ron - Just didn't want you to think that everyone has failed to be interested in improving trailer standards. At least Canada is interested in attempting to write a standard for HORSE trailers! Once we get that - perhaps we can roll it over to other areas? Please do not take any action on this email - it is FYI only - when the teleconference is over I will of course share what I can with you. As in most things - this is a slow process. Rebecca Canadian Standards Association. The CSA is interested in the possibility of establishing standards for horse trailers. As noted at the Animal Transportation Association Vancouver 2012 international conference on horse transport, the lack of standards in the manufacture of non-commercial horse trailers contributes to injury and death of horses and humans. Your USRider on-going study of over 800 known trailer incidents reveals poor quality materials including tires, wiring, braking performance, instability at highway speeds, poor welds, trailer skin so thin it can be punched through with a fist, shifting loads, mismatch between trailer and tow vehicle, tow vehicle and trailer separation, overloading, no mandatory recall on defective parts, and horses thrown or falling from the trailer and posing an additional road hazard. As well, few trailers meet the Five Freedoms endorsed by animal welfare interests: providing an environment conducive to normal behavior, rest, drinking and eating, and which minimizes the risk of injury, mental or physical distress, or disease. Currently, there are no standards in North America for manufacturing horse trailers. To the best of my knowledge, standards are also non-existent in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. With your help, the CSA will explore the level of interest among stakeholders for supporting a research effort into establishing standards for horse trailer design and structure. Part of the effort With your help, the CSA will explore the level of interest among stakeholders for supporting a research effort into establishing standards for horse trailer design and structure. Part of the effort might include minimum braking performance, minimum wiring standards and protection of horse and human life during typical highway incidents such as occur at intersections, collisions, and roll-overs. These Standards would provide an informed basis for manufacturing, insurance, regulatory, animal welfare and public interests to compare trailer quality and engineering. They would level the playing field among manufacturers. No longer would a trailer dealer be able to tell the naive buyer that the reason the trailer top is so flimsy is because "It is better for horses to be thrown from a trailer in an accident." Should the project to develop a Standard proceed following the feasibility study, the Standard will not become enforceable until it is referenced in a contract, in legislation, by being adopted by insurance issuers or underwriters or by Transport Canada or a similar authority. Your participation is vital. Before the CSA can become involved with a feasibility study, it needs to determine in this conference call the level of support, both volunteer and monetary, from the stakeholders. If the feasibility study is approved and indicates that there is a need, the next step will be to set up a standards development project. The CSA is the project manager but only the expert technical committee decides on the content of the Standard. If further applied research is required the work may contracted to a qualified test facility. Those few trailer manufacturers who have already applied testing standards to their product could likely save the technical committee much time. But the committee would need to judge the validity of the tests. We look forward to consulting with you. This is followed by further details of the CSA's role and the equipment required for your participation in the teleconference. An agenda will be circulated to confirmed participants prior to the teleconference. Confirmed participants will also receive a biographical sketch of each of the participants prior to the teleconference.

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krista

- August 15, 2012 at 09:17:33

Intersection of Topsail Rd and Farrell Dr. is actually in Mt. Pearl, but regardless of that I'm glad no one got hurt that could have been a bad accident, luck was on their sides!

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Allworld

- August 15, 2012 at 04:42:49

At least the Police have "concrete" evidence to re-construct the accident scene.

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jrjr

- August 14, 2012 at 20:16:40

someone's in trouble for this one...suposed to have safety chains

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  mike

  - August 16, 2012 at 01:45:11

  This is not a freak accident. Happens all the time and some with tragic consequences. We only hear about it when someone gets hurt or worse. When a coupler detaches chains don't always hold. Even if they do you still lose control and that could be disastrous in traffic. Anybody seen the new Shur-Tow unit which prevents this? Pretty cool unit and I think it may be mandated soon. Makes so much sense and protects the general public from misfortune or negligence by somebody else. Check it out . www.shurtow.com.