Anyone had an accident with trailer or lorry? which is safer?

Have you had an accident driving a trailer or a lorry?

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trojanpony

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I'm interested to know how many people have had a road accident in their trailers or lorries.
I was involved in a horrible accident many years ago (mum driving) towing a trailer. I swore then I would never put my pony in a trailer again and now am lucky enough to have a 3.5t box. However, at the moment it would be a lot easier and cheaper for me to have a trailer and 4x4 instead, so I am considering it. I just really struggle with the safety thing after having been in that accident (horse, dogs, people all ok in the end btw).

So I'm interested to see which people have had accidents in, and what your views are on the relative safety of a trailer vs a van/lorry?

Thanks!
 
Not me, but my friend ended up with the trailer overturned, and possibly on top of the landy today. One horse just a small cut, the other 48 stitches, some staples and lots of bandages. She is very lucky it missed all tendons etc.
I have heard of accidents with the little 3.5t lorries, and horses going over the breastbar, but have never had a problem myself.
 
Just think about the possible damage if someone drove into the horse area. Which would you rather have your horse in? Which is why I have a well-built 7.5 tonner!
 
Not me but a friend had a trailer over turn and her horse died in the accident, the trailer just got a wobble on a flipped taking the towing vehicle with it :(
 
I have used both, I had a trailer which I towed with a Discovery & later with a Pajero. It towed well but I always considered that when I got 2 horses I would need more room in it & more stability. I found trailers can be very suceptable to cross winds & also the 'bow wave' of large HGVs overtaking them on motorways etc.

I appreciate that horseboxes can also be moved by crosswinds but they don't seem to sway as badly, probably down to their weight & also there is no 'joint' in the middle as with a trailer so there is no jack knifing.

Fortunately I've never been in an accident with either.......... (trys to find wood to touch in this modern MDF world)
 
My friend and I had an accident with a trailer on the motorway, where we were caught by cross winds, trailer ended up on its side on the carriageway. Luckily she was towing with a landrover defender so this remained upright ... just. Thankfully both the horses and both of us were ok. She bought another trailer after the accident and tows her horse happily, though now has anti snake bars fitted. My horse, understandably doesnt travel happily in a trailer now, so I sold mine and have a 6.5 tonne lorry. I had towed happily for years up to the accident, and would probably do so again if my horse was happier. I do like the convenience and stability of the lorrythough. Im still a bit traumatised driving on the motorway now with the horses though. I find lorry doesnt get sucked in to large vehicles like the trailer used to, but I do find it gets stuck in the tramlines on the motorway, which can cause it to sway, which didnt happen with the trailer.
 
I have personally never been involved in an accident in either (we have a 7.5T lorry). However, I would not now tow a trailer or travel my horse in a trailer after hearing too many accidents that friends have had.

My sister was involved in a trailer accident. On the M1,towing with a discovery, the trailer had 2 horses in, snaked and flipped over. It took the discovery and that turned over too with 3 people (and a dog) in it. They slid down the carriageway and hit the barrier.

Miraculously somehow, horses escaped with just minor injuries (one was stood up,one lying down when they got the ramp open), and no people were hurt. The M1 was closed for several hours that day though and thankfully traffic behind saw what was happening and stopped so no other vehicles involved. My sister said people just came running down the motorway to help.

I do not feel trailers are safe at all I'm afraid and feel MUCH safer in a lorry. Even when you do hit the ruts in the motorways and it throws you off a bit. You are highly unlikely to actually lose control or turn over.
 
Have covered a fair few miles over my (very long:o ) years & for 8 of them was a cover driver for accident/insurance callout & had to recover quite a few times, usually was either:
Breakdown for horsebox or Trailer accident.

I've had the following accidental damage to my own vehicles over the past 30 odd years (have of course had my class 1 since I was 3 ;) )
Smashed windscreen (twice, both times from skip lorries overtaking on motorways).
Crunched front bumper when driving a friends rig, when another truck cut in too quick back into lane.
Cab write off in a 7.5t - from an 80yr old lady on her way home from church, driving a mini out of a side road without stopping (that was scarey as I had nowhere to go......)
Off side front blow-out going downhill on a steep camber when in a 38footer 6 horse+ luxury truck, meaning a little gentle diversion along a dry-stone wall, tho damage was only cosmetic.

That said, give me a solid truck anyday over a trailer on any dual carriageway or motorway :)

To the poster who said about the tram lines - get your drivers side front wheel into the 'rut' & keep it planted there, you will regain a lot of stability :)
 
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thanks for the replies. Our accident was also caused by a 'snake' with trailer pulling the car round. In our case (thankfully) the trailer stayed upright (though it did hit an oncoming car) and it was the car that went over.
Your stories are tending to make me want to stick with my van, ancient as it is. It's very slow on the motorway, but even though it's little it feels stable and safe.

I wonder how well those anti-snake bars work?
 
trojanpony said:
I wonder how well those anti-snake bars work?
Click to expand...

Very well :)
My DH will tow the caravan behind his LWB high top van & has occasionally gone a bit too quick... on private roads obviously ;) It holds steady even cruising at 70+ mph on the Dutch motorways when we've gone to Assen
The caravan has a good qual stabiliser hitchlock.
When fully loaded (both vehicles) I chew my fingers, but can honestly say it has never snaked at all & we have driven quite a number of miles with this combo all over the country & to european meetings.
Would obviously never advise anyone to tow at that speed tho :o
 
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The worst incidents we've ever had with our lorries over the years are a couple of blow outs (just had to wait for recovery to come and change the tyre)and once i think we broke down. I just know too many friends who had had nasty trailer accidents so this puts me off ever having one.

I know one person (aside from reading about the Paul Tapner accident) who has had an accident in their wagon which sadly ended in a fatality. However, it wasn't their fault or anything to do with the horsebox - a motorcyclist ended up going under their lorry. :(
 
I had never noticed those tramlines before (car or van)! But been googling trailers and seems to be a really common problem/cause of snaking.
Actually, googling has put me right off, it makes trailers sound horrifically dangerous.
 
Touch lots of wood, never had an accident in over 20 years of towing a trailer quite regularly. I use a heavy 4x4 though, wouldn't tow with a car and have rarely gone on motorways that I can recall. I would personally prefer a trailer for local journeys or a 7.5 tonne for longer/motorway travel as those little 3.5 tonne lorries make me very nervous just looking at them. If I had one I could imagine it is easy to try to drive them like a car whereas with a trailer you are very aware that you have horses on board.
 
Dogstar, you'd be suprised at some of the 3.5 lorries.
I have a purpose built 3.5 box & its very stable to drive :)
(actually, I was suprised as having always driven bigger lorries I was a tad concerned about taking one out, but its not as expected at all)
It IS very robust tho & is built properly & not for cosmetics....
 
jemima*askin said:
Just think about the possible damage if someone drove into the horse area. Which would you rather have your horse in? Which is why I have a well-built 7.5 tonner!
Click to expand...

This ^^^ is why I bought a 7.5 ton lorry. Plus rubbish at reversing with a trailer.
 
I have towed trailers for years, yes I would love a lorry but funds do not allow. I have towed both livestock and horse trailers without a problem, but I do drive slow and steady and use a proper towing vehicle, not those silly little underpowered with crappy suspension "soft roaders" you see nowadays.

I tow on motorways - I actually prefer them to winding roads...one of the worst accidents I have seen involved a lorry - went through central reservation and overturned, people seem to think lorries are invincible.

I keep my towing outfit safe with regular checks on the trailer, I drive at a sensible speed and I will keep on towing for as long as I am able, I don't let hearsay of accidents worry me, I just get on with the job in hand and think of all the many millions of trailer journeys undertaken each year but horsey folk that are problem free, accidents are thankfully few and far between and usually due to human error.
 
Lost my old mare on the M5 in a trailer accident. Not going to go into details but I know how people can be morbidly curious so if you really want to know then PM me.

Would NEVER use a trailer now, I have a very stable and safe 3.5t lorry. We took Genie 10mins in a trailer not long after I got her and I shook the entire way and hacked home instead of putting her back in. Just following them on the Motorway makes me feel ill.

Yes, I know there are thousands of trailer journeys every day, but having been there when it went wrong I'm afraid I cannot see them as anything other than death traps on wheels. (I do not expect everyone to agree!)
 
Mother had a trailer over turn with 2 horses in. Never used one since. Only ever travel them in our 7.5 ton lorry. Much safer in my opinion.
 
Some of us cannot afford a lorry so have to make do with a trailer. Please don't assume they are dangerous - they are not. Many thousands of people are injured and killed in car accidents and cycling and motorbike crashes. An accident is just that. I am not going to argue on here all night, but will be out towing my trailer tomorrow.

Also the state of some lorries I have seen at shows makes me wonder if they are indeed plated or not, I would rather put my horse in my modern, safe and well maintained trailer than some of the rustbucket ramshackle lorries seen at local shows!! Mind you, some of the trailers are in the same state. I would welcome an annual safety test for all horse and livestock trailers.
 
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If you are nervous of using a trailer then stick with your truck as you are confident driving it.

I have driven both trailers and trucks.

I have not had an accident with a trailer but then I keep to a slow speed when going downhill or in cross wind situations. I also ensure that the correct tyres are fitted (many replace tyres with normal car tyres and these are not suitable - special tyres are required).

I have had a head on collision in my lorry when a motorist came round a corner on the wrong side of the road. Car ended up under the cab of the truck with the engine of the car pushed through the bulk head of the car and sitting on drivers lap. Emergency services safely recovered driver of car who was fortunately o.k. and the sideway partition of the lorry was bent by horse being forced forward when the vehicle suddenly stopped. Horse was fine as well. Front of cab required repairing by body shop.

The advantage of a 7.5 ton lorry is that they are stronger and the horses are higher up so less likely to be injured if there is a side impact.
 
I've not really had what would be termed accidents, but I've had a blow out on both a trailer and in a 7.5 lorry.

When the trailer tyre blew, the whole rig started snaking, luckily I was on a wide straight road and there was nothing coming the other way and I managed to regain control - the tail was wagging the dog up to both verges and I think I was very lucky not the end up in the ditch.

On the other hand, the blow out on the lorry (which was on the passenger side and front wheel) simply made a big bang, I got on the hard shoulder and phoned for the tyre guy to come and fix it.

Having always been pretty confident about towing, both incidents shook me up a bit, but the trailer one far far more - there were too many what ifs and whilst I do still tow, I've just bought a lorry!

ETA I do check tyres regularly!
 
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We had a big old 7.5 tonne lorry we used to take to the markets - okay not horses but though id share anyway!
We had a blow out at 50MPH and it was the scariest thing, the tyre went bang and we almost ended up in a ditch! luckily OH managed to regain control and stopped safely, thank god it was a quiet road and there where no other cars about :eek:
 
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