Your trailer must be level. An un-level trailer is detrimental. It can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. The vehicle and trailer can fishtail as a result, notes The Auto Channel.
Use the recommended safety methods regarding the locking device for the hitch and coupler.
Determine that your turn signals, brake lights and reverse lights are working properly when towing.
Using a non-locking receiver pin when towing a boat is not a good idea. This type of pin, which connects the trailer to the car, can be tampered with.
Ensure that the trailer tires are in good shape before hitting the road. Dry-rotted and worn tires can blow, which leads to danger for the occupants in the vehicles and to other motorists. Faulty tires lead to 40 percent of the accidents that involve a passenger vehicle that is towing a trailer.
Secure your cargo --- jet skis, motorcycles, ATVs --- so that they do not fall off of the trailer and into the path of other vehicles. If you use bungee cords to secure the items that are on your trailer the cords must be in top-notch shape. Otherwise they can come unhooked or snap and the cargo falls onto the roadway.
If you are driving and the trailer starts to swerve or snake, gently reduce your speed because this is an indication that the trailer is either loaded wrong or you are driving too fast.
When braking on a bend, do not brake aggressively because this can cause the trailer to become unstable.
Determine that the trailer is coupled correctly to the pin or two ball and note that the coupling height is secure.
