Before you dive in straight to the steps put together by the largest Leyland Spare Parts dealer to help prevent jackknifing, let’s understand why jackknifing occurs in the first place.
Why Jackknifing occurs?
Jackknifing occurs when the towing vehicle loses momentum and skids on the road. It is basically when the vehicle and its attached trailer get out of sync and start moving in different directions to form an L or a V shape. If the driver isn’t able to handle the situation in time, the trailer attached to the vehicle will continue to push the towing vehicle until it completely spins around.
What Causes Jackknifing?
The primary cause of jackknifing is a loss of traction. Well, in this scenario the term traction means how well the wheels of your truck trailer grip the road. Other general reasons of jackknifing are:
- The bang impact of the prior collision causes the vehicle and its trailer to maneuver in different directions.
- Not keeping an appropriate distance from fellow vehicles on the road, especially on slick or wet roads.
- When the drivers don’t decelerate at turns or bends, the high speed at which they turn causes jackknifing. The truck trailer drivers must apply the brake in a straight line just before the turn. They can rev the engine once the turn is completed.
- Locking of trailer brakes due to improper braking. This is the most common reason of a truck jackknifing. This usually happens due to speeding or driving unsafely or braking suddenly to avoid collision with the other vehicle.
How to Prevent Jackknifing?
- Watch your mirrors frequently if the trailer swings.
- Keep your speed in check and brake slowly and gradually.
- Avoid braking when you’re descending the downhill curves; rather, consider decelerating gradually prior to reaching them.
- You must curb your habit of skidding which is the major cause of jackknifing. In case you start to skid, take your foot off the brake and try to control the situation.
- In case it is absolutely necessary for you to swerve, take your foot off the brake while doing it.
The effects of a jackknifing trailer can be devastating, so take help of these steps to avoid getting stuck in this situation.