tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39532727214321188592011-04-21T17:01:39.680-07:00Ron Melanconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07856693100553559754noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3953272721432118859.post-70679970287381334782008-06-13T13:17:00.001-07:002008-11-18T16:57:13.364-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ocr67TyjOSg/SFLWAAChXXI/AAAAAAAAA1I/FeHA7wQlPYY/s1600-h/updatetwentyone67.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ocr67TyjOSg/SFLWAAChXXI/AAAAAAAAA1I/FeHA7wQlPYY/s400/updatetwentyone67.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211463014320004466" border="0" /></a><br /><h1 class="Sectiontitle">Accidents prompt debate over Idaho's trailer-safety rules</h1> <p class="credits"> <span class="creditline"> The Associated Press </span> <span class="timestamp"> • Published June 12, 2008<br /></span></p><p class="credits"><br /><span class="timestamp"></span></p><p>The chairman of the Idaho Senate Transportation Committee says he wants to learn more about trailer safety before deciding whether new laws are needed.</p> <div class="instorycontent"> <div class="instoryAd"> <div class="advertisement" id="mrec01"><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> <!-- document.write('<scr' language="JavaScript" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/mi.oly00/News/State;dcove=d;pl=story;lvl6=Northwest;loc=ats;pos=MREC01;' + dart_reg + dart_segs + dart_tk + kw_str + 'sz=300x250;tile=3;ord=' + ord + '?" type="text/javascript"></scr' + 'ipt>'); //--> </script><script language="JavaScript" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/mi.oly00/News/State;dcove=d;pl=story;lvl6=Northwest;loc=ats;pos=MREC01;reg=0;sz=300x250;tile=3;ord=596701409483609.9?" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- Template Id = 1 Template Name = Banner Creative (Flash) --> <!-- Copyright 2002 DoubleClick Inc., All rights reserved. --><script src="http://m1.2mdn.net/879366/flashwrite_1_2.js"></script> <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="FLASH_AD" height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://m1.2mdn.net/1598424/CabinetDist_300x250_060208.swf?clickTag=http%3A//ad.doubleclick.net/click%253Bh%3Dv8/36de/3/0/%252a/z%253B202673608%253B0-0%253B1%253B21054028%253B4307-300/250%253B26796523/26814380/1%253B%253B%257Esscs%253D%253fhttp%3A//www.cabinetdistributors.com/"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="bgcolor" value="#"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="never"><embed src="http://m1.2mdn.net/1598424/CabinetDist_300x250_060208.swf?clickTag=http%3A//ad.doubleclick.net/click%253Bh%3Dv8/36de/3/0/%252a/z%253B202673608%253B0-0%253B1%253B21054028%253B4307-300/250%253B26796523/26814380/1%253B%253B%257Esscs%253D%253fhttp%3A//www.cabinetdistributors.com/" quality="high" wmode="opaque" swliveconnect="TRUE" bgcolor="#" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" height="250" width="300"></embed></object><noscript><a target="_new" href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh=v8/36de/3/0/%2a/z%3B202673608%3B0-0%3B1%3B21054028%3B4307-300/250%3B26796523/26814380/1%3B%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://www.cabinetdistributors.com/"><img src="http://m1.2mdn.net/1598424/CabinetDist_300x250_060208.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></noscript> <noscript><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/mi.oly00/News/State;dcove=d;pl=story;lvl6=Northwest;loc=ats;pos=MREC01;sz=300x250;tile=3;ord=123456789?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/mi.oly00/News/State;dcove=d;pl=story;lvl6=Northwest;loc=ats;pos=MREC01;sz=300x250;tile=3;ord=123456789?" border="0" alt="Advertisement" /></a></noscript> </div> </div> <a name="links"></a><div class="box fade"><h5><a name="links">Related Stories &amp; Links</a></h5> <ul class="list_assets"><li><a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/" target="_blank">http://www.idahostatesman.com (weblink)</a></li></ul></div> </div> <p>"We constantly look at ways to make our highways and freeways safer," Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell, told the Idaho Statesman.</p><p>On Monday, a flatbed trailer that broke lose from a vehicle on Interstate 84 in Boise hit a large truck. Police say no one was injured, but the highway was closed for several hours.</p><p>Last month, a farm trailer swung into the path of a truck near the town of Sweet, about 40 miles north of Boise. The truck vaulted over the trailer and into a creek, killing a father and two of his children.</p><p>Idaho State Police say accidents caused by runaway trailers happen too often on Idaho roads.</p><p>"In Idaho, there are no regulations that deal with private individuals and towing," said ISP spokesman Rick Ohnsman.</p><p>Officials say a simple precaution such as safety chains, which serve as a backup for keeping a trailer attached to the vehicle towing it, could prevent some accidents.</p><p>However, police say the only law pertaining to towing a private trailer in Idaho is that it must have working taillights.</p><p>Also, loads are not required to be secured, and the state does not inspect trailers before they are registered.</p><p>The state does require trailers of more than 15,000 pounds to have working trailer brakes.</p><p>"In other states, they require that (chains) be in good working order and usable," said Lt. Bill Reese, deputy commander of Idaho's Commercial Safety Division.</p><p>He said drivers in Idaho who lose a trailer or material from it can be cited for littering or careless driving.</p><p>"If it's my personal trailer, I'm not required to secure the load," Reese said, "although it's against the law to place debris on the highway."</p><p>Commercial vehicles face stricter penalties, but most farm equipment, such as the trailer involved in the fatal crash near Sweet, is exempt from commercial rules, he said.</p><p>A Virginia man, Ron Melancon, is trying to get lawmakers across the nation to strengthen trailer laws. He said Idaho has some of fewest regulations in the nation concerning trailers.</p><p>"In Idaho, you can go to the junkyard, pick up an axle, put a box on it and get it registered," said Melancon, who began his advocacy after colliding with a trailer.</p><p>"No one checks welds. No one checks bearings. And no one checks wiring," he said.</p><p class="credits"> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3953272721432118859-7067997028738133478?l=dangeroustrailersfeaturedolympian.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Ron Melanconhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07856693100553559754noreply@blogger.com0