Trailers and Traffic

Trailers and Traffic

How often do drivers get frustrated with a loaded horse trailer or cattle truck moving slower than molasses? Many drivers even speed around these vehicles and potentially cut them off. Others resort to tailgating them to encourage the trailer to go faster. On occasion, drivers honk their horn in anger. These may seem like harmless actions, but to those that are driving the trailer, and to the animals in them, it can turn a simple trip into a fatal ride.

I have personally been a witness to an angry driver who cut off our loaded horse trailer and almost drove us off the road. We were turning onto an off-ramp and were in the process of slowing down our trailer when the car behind us sped around us and turned onto the off-ramp in front of us. The car then quickly slowed down without giving our trailer the proper warning and because our trailer had a horse in it, we were not able to slow down as quickly as the small car. We were forced to make a quick decision: pull off the road or quickly move to the open lane next to us. Changing lanes with an empty horse trailer is challenging enough, but changing lanes with a loaded trailer going 50 miles per hour is even more challenging! Luckily, we were able to move over before slamming into the back of the other driver.

Other drivers may react oppositely by becoming overly excited seeing a trailer full of horses. Some drivers honk their horns or roll their window down and yell or wave to the horses or cattle. These actions may not affect horses accustomed to traveling, but if there is a horse who is a nervous traveler, it may become alarmed at the sudden new sounds or motions and may lash out at the trailer, other horses, safety restraints, or in the most extreme cases, attempt to jump out of the trailer windows. This could all lead to disastrous or even fatal consequences to the horses, trailer driver, or surrounding drivers.

Drivers need to understand that trailers should be treated like semi trucks or hazardous explosives. Drivers ed instructors need to teach student drivers about the consequences of disastrous driving around trucks hauling heavy loads and animals. If other drivers can see pictures of what dangerous driving leads to, they may be more cautious around trailers. To raise awareness, I personally share pictures of the scenes of wrecked horse trailers on my social media where both animals and humans tragically lost their lives. With advancements in technology and the ability to easily share alarming images and videos far and wide, I believe drivers will become more aware of the results of being negligent around loaded animal trailers and reduce the number of deaths of both animals and humans.