A driver towing a heavy-duty utility trailer is suspected of not having their trailer brakes connected incorrectly, easily causing this jackknife condition.
SoCal resident and Redditor /u/ErinHere1 shared shocking dashcam footage to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit from earlier last week (Aug 20, 2024) from Pacoima on the Golden State Freeway showing the dangerous moment when a simple lane change from this driver towing what looks like a dual axle car hauler turned into a jackknife situation.
Check out their dashcam footage below.
Trailer jackknifing on freeway [OC]
byu/erinhere1 inIdiotsInCars
As mentioned, this incident happened on I-5 in Pacomia, Los Angeles just before Exit 156A (exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As their dashcam footage shows, OP is driving in one of the middle lanes when traffic in lanes 4 and 5 suddenly comes to a crawl.
A driver towing a heavy-duty, dual-axle trailer used for hauling vehicles and construction equipment decides to change lanes in front of OP.
What should’ve been a simple lane change goes awry as the truck angles from 45 degrees to a full 90.
The truck and trailer jackknife.
Thankfully, OP reacts in time, swerving out of the way thanks to no traffic on their left.
“Luckily, no one collided,” /u/erinhere1 confirms. “Just very close calls.
“Heavy trailer pushed the truck. Something that size normally has its own brakes. I’m guessing the trailer brake control in the truck wasn’t set right,” /u/w1987g hypothesized.
“That’s a dual axle, equipment trailer rated for at least 7k but more likely 10k plus – it most certainly has brakes. Are they hooked up and working? Probably not based on the video,” /u/prty1999 added.
“Very quick thinking and smooth reactions. I would have slammed my brakes instead, most likely, and definitely would have hit. Idk how some people can train themselves to be so good at driving. It always feels foreign to me,” /u/ForagedFoodie commented.
Sometimes defensive driving can be summed up in what OP did, simply paying attention.
If OP had been distracted, this could’ve ended differently.
As for those drivers who tow, this is why making sure your brakes are up to snuff and working is important.
