Towing
The towing source may be a motorized land vehicle, vessel, animal, or human, and the load being anything that can be pulled.
These may be joined by a chain, rope, bar, hitch, three-point, fifth wheel, coupling, drawbar, integrated platform, or other means of keeping the objects together while in motion.
Other familiar forms are the tractor-trailer combination, and cargo or leisure vehicles coupled via ball or pintle and gudgeon trailer hitches to smaller trucks and cars.
Historically, barges were hauled along rivers or canals using tow ropes drawn by men or draught animals walking along towpaths on the banks.
According to the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Association, more than 65,000 crashes involving passenger vehicles towing trailers occurred in 2004 in the US, increasing nearly 20 percent from the previous year.
Master Lock reported that 70 percent of trailer owners did not fully know the correct way to tow their cargo.
In some cases, the manufacturers have not only designed automobiles to sense the presence of a trailer, but they have also added enhanced new features within the systems connected to the network.
These systems can detect the "snaking" of a trailer or caravan and counteract it by braking individual wheels, reducing engine torque and slowing the vehicle down.
in certain vehicles, which may make use of detecting the presence of a trailer, are: lane-change assistant, brake electronics, adaptive cruise control, suspension system (ASS), engine electronics, engine cooling system, parking aids, and reversing camera.
ACC (adaptive cruise control) systems are meant to 'detect' a trailer to allow for a greater braking distance between vehicles.
It works by taking a small current signal from the vehicle's lighting harness to trigger a relay and send a direct power supply to the towing socket.
However, by-pass systems should protect the car's electrical modules from damage should the wiring in a towed trailer malfunction.
12N is the designation for the older 7-pin lighting socket conforming to ISO 1724, used when towing just a trailer or caravan (without the need for charge or fridge functions).
The socket has been designed to be waterproof, easy to fit and remove (twist operation), the same size as one 12N socket (ideal for detachable towbars as unobtrusive), and with good fitting quality terminals that avoid any pin burnout or voltage failure.
Some countries require that signs indicating the maximum trailer weight (and in some cases, length) be posted on trucks and buses close to the coupling device.
In the case of towing hitches designed to carry other vehicles, there are more specialized types, described immediately below.
technology includes the use of GPS and on-board wireless equipment to dispatch drivers via an LCD screen receiver.
Some smaller towing companies, especially single-truck owner-operator outfits, may have only a single telephone and answering device for their "dispatch center".
The tow company will sometimes prevent access to the vehicle until the law states the owner can claim it (usually after any fines are paid).
Automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems are sometimes used to help the dispatch center staff determine the closest tow truck.
It may display the location of all tow trucks on a map or may feed data directly to a computer-assisted dispatch system which automatically recommends the closest available units.
[21] Maryland towing sector representatives testified to a state task force in October 2008 that nearly all complaints are the fault of "gypsy towers" and "snatch-and-grabbers".
[citation needed] Oregon law requires that the tower release a vehicle at no charge only if the driver is present prior to the hookup being complete.
In April 2013, the Queensland Government approved amendments to the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000, regarding motor vehicle impoundment with the aim of improving road safety.
On November 1, 2013, State of Queensland the amended legislation commenced as the countries toughest anti-hooning laws.
[24] Second, the act sets minimum standards on the character of towing company employers and also regulates the behaviour of participants once they enter the field.
[25] The framework of offences in the act broadly seeks to give practical effect to the "chain of responsibility" concept in the accident towing sector.
[26] The concept seeks to identify the sector parties who are in a sufficient position of control over risks, in this case potentially unsafe and unethical conduct following road accidents, and to allocate responsibility through law accordingly to deter and punish those behaviours.
[28] The scheme was broadly prompted by customer protection sentiment, in particular, the recognition of the vulnerability of road accident victims.
Care was evident during development of the scheme to maintain and enhance existing character standards in the sector due to past behavioural issues in Victoria including the infiltration of criminal elements into some areas and conflict at accident scenes.
