Towing Mishap

[mrmikey]

Sorry to hear of your accident.

It doesn't matter what you do, if you leave space in front of you someone else will take it, which immediately puts you in the situation of not having enough space to stop with little time to correct it.

Situations like that is why I have a dash cam. There's so many videos on line of a person in front of another getting hit and blaming it on the rear driver rear ending them when they're the one that cut them off.

 

[sea2summit]

The OP stated the trailer brakes worked fine.

Trailer brakes should be adjusted properly through the controller for the load, in an emergency your trailer brake controller should have a way for you do do an emergency stop of the trailer (max juice applied instead of the load adjusted amperage).

 

[Chewwy]

Trailer brakes should be adjusted properly through the controller for the load, in an emergency your trailer brake controller should have a way for you do do an emergency stop of the trailer (max juice applied instead of the load adjusted amperage).

Most load controllers have that capability. But you have to do it manually. Not much time to do that in an emergency braking situation.

A properly adjusted controller will still lock up the brakes on the trailer if your standing on the brake pedal in the tow vehicle.

None-the-less, the OP stated the brakes worked fine. His biggest problem was the likely illegal lane change in front of him.

 

[airbiscuit]

For the guy in front of you

 

[dodge man]

I don’t see what good the emergency brake would have done. Looking at your truck I’d say you hit them at more than 4 or 5 mph. Bummer.

 

[CliffordK]

Situations like that is why I have a dash cam. There's so many videos on line of a person in front of another getting hit and blaming it on the rear driver rear ending them when they're the one that cut them off.

One might want to blame the accident on the vehicle cutting in front stopping short. However, the off ramp was full, and backing up to the place the OP was driving too quickly to stop. So there was no room for anybody to go.

Slow down when one sees a bunch of brake lights and slow or stopped cars, especially when towing.

I bet if you ask any semi truck driver, they'll have plenty of stories of people doing stupid things around their trucks.

 

[5030]

Your picture looks a lot like a Michigan limited access highway but 'assured clear distance' is the same most anywhere. When I'm pulling my Goose Neck trailer loaded, I tend to avoid limited access highways and stick to secondary roads. Truck looks totaled to me. Time to deal with your insurance company, pay your deductible and move on.

 

[5030]

I don’t see what good the emergency brake would have done. Looking at your truck I’d say you hit them at more than 4 or 5 mph. Bummer.

Not really, Light duty trucks today are made from basically painted tinfoil.

One of those 'bend over and kiss your butt goodbye'.

 

[Thomas]

There are some out there call insurance scam,as said dash cam BIG plus now adays to protect yourself.

 

[5030]

My Garmin has one built in and the high capacity SD card can record for a month at a time if necessary but not with a fiddlers darn in an assured clear distance crash. ASD is ASD and there is no defense for that. Failure to stop in time rests solely on the driver of the vehicle behind the vehicle that got hit.

Why, in a chain reaction multi vehicle crash, the last one always gets screwed.