June 22, 2010 11:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time
New Virginia Law Effective July 1 Highlights Importance of Trailer Safety
Runaway Trailer Accidents Caused over 15,000 Deaths since 1975 – Most Were Preventable
RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Summer begins this week, and many families are towing their boats and campers to their favorite lake or campsite. Unfortunately, this fun, carefree scenario can become dangerous when folks are not aware of the basics of trailer safety. Since 1988, over 400 people have died every year on America’s roads in trailer separation accidents, with the most common occurrence involving innocent victims, when a trailer detaching from a vehicle becomes a missile directed towards an on-coming vehicle. The results are devastating. Even more unsettling is that the injuries, lost lives and property damage caused by poor safety connections between trailers and passenger cars are totally preventable.
“We have been working to get this law enacted in Virginia since 2004”
The State of Virginia has called attention to this dangerous situation and enacted the strictest law in the nation aimed at preventing accidental separation. Beginning July 1 Virginia law enforcement officers will be handing out $250 fines if the hundreds of thousands of trailer owners in Virginia – including boat trailers, utility trailers, camper trailers, ATV trailers and more – do not have the proper safety connections.
“We have been working to get this law enacted in Virginia since 2004,” says longtime trailer safety advocate and Virginian Ron Melancon of www.dangeroustrailers.org. “And with the passage of this bill Virginia is now the model state for trailer safety. We are very appreciative to State Senator John C. Watkins for listening and sponsoring this life-saving legislation.”
A 2006 study by Master Lock shows that most Americans who tow are ill-informed on safe towing practices.
According to trailer safety device expert Karl Pratt -- who was instrumental in helping Melancon effect the current law and agrees that lack of education and understanding about trailer hitch safety is the key cause of accidents -- there are several basic questions you can ask to make sure your trailer connection is secure and permit you to address any dangers before it's too late. Here are the basic trailer connection questions as identified by Pratt, who is the inventor/founder of Safety Sentry Inc. (www.safetysentryinc.com), a hitch lock safety device that prevents accidental separation of utility trailers from towing vehicles in virtually all circumstances.
Are you thoroughly familiar with your equipment? Is your vehicle and hitch setup able to pull the size of the trailer you have and tow the weight you are carrying? Have you properly distributed the weight of your load inside your trailer? Do you understand the responsible speed you should travel when towing specific weights?
What is the condition of your equipment? Is it getting old? Tweaks and bends in hitches can be signs of stress and potential failure. Trailer balls should be smooth, and scored or rusty balls should be replaced as they will cause excessive wear.
Are you aware that hitch balls come in three different sizes and that the balls must be the right size for the coupler on the trailer you are towing? If you connect a 2-inch ball with a 2-5/16 inch coupler, it may stay connected – or it may fly off when you hit a pothole or a big bump in the road.
Do you know how to connect your safety chains properly? Are yours the right length and correct gauge? If they are too long or too light, your safety chains will be useless to prevent an accident if for some reason the trailer becomes detached. When connected, safety chains should have some slack to permit sharp turns but should not drag on the road. In addition, the chains should crisscross under the trailer. This helps prevent the trailer from dropping to the road by cradling the coupler, in the event the trailer separates from the tow vehicle.
Trailer towing is safe when precautions are taken. Based on his own experience when his trailer became separated on a bumpy road, Pratt advocates a secondary safety device for added protection and peace of mind.
A secondary device is inexpensive added insurance, he says, that can prevent detachment even if the ball doesn’t fit the coupler properly, the safety chains fail, and the coupler locking device is faulty or not locked.
“Irrespective of proper use of chains [which are already mandated in many localities], all trailer towing configurations would benefit from, and should have, a secondary safety device,” concurs
Pennsylvania safety inspection expert Bernie Elder of Compuspections whose firm has decades of experience in inspecting trailers.
Both Pratt and Melancon agree that with more safety awareness and tougher legislation in other states, all too common runaway trailer accidents should decrease dramatically.
“The solution is readily available right now,” says Melancon. “Every loose trailer accident, every death caused by trailers that separate while driving, is preventable right now.”
Contacts
Stephen Koenigsberg Public RelationsStephen Koenigsberg, 303-861-3030steve@koenigsbergpr.com
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Lawmaker Wants Stricter Rules on Trailer Hitches Posted Wednesday May 12, 2010 2 hours, 14 minutes ago
Lawmaker Wants Stricter Rules on Trailer Hitches
Posted Wednesday May 12, 2010 2 hours, 14 minutes ago
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WTAQ) - A state senator is looking into a possible bill for stricter rules on vehicles that pull trailers. Democrat Dave Hansen of Green Bay hopes to submit a proposal in the next legislative session which begins in January.
It’s in response to an accident last month on the Highway 41 expressway near Green Bay. A trailer broke from a pickup truck, struck a car, and killed its driver – UW-Green Bay student Whitney Radder of Kiel.
The truck driver was given 2 traffic citations for using sub-standard hitches, and towing with improper safety chains. No criminal charges have been filed, and authorities continue to investigate.
Media reports say Wisconsin has the 11th highest number of deaths involving cars that tow trailers. There were 377 such deaths and over 11,000 injuries between 1975 and 2008. And the state DOT said there were 117 citations issued in connection with trailer mishaps in the last 5 years.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Man alerts people about trailer-towing dangers
Man alerts people about trailer-towing dangers
By Rich Flowers Athens Daily Review, Texas
Publication: Athens Daily Review (Texas)
Date: Friday, March 19 2010
Publication: Athens Daily Review (Texas)
Date: Friday, March 19 2010
Mar. 19--March 19, 2010
Man alerts people about trailer-towing dangers
Athens -- Not long after he read the Athens Review account of an 88-year-old woman injured when a boat trailer came loose from its towing vehicle and slammed into a van, Ron Melancon was on the phone.
Melanconwants to alert anyone who will listen to the potential dangers of passenger cars pulling trailers. Now based in Glen Allen Virginia, the Houston native says trailers have killed 2,165 in the state since 1975.
"There's so much attention paid to the Toyota recall when trailers have killed many more people," Melancon said.
Sunday afternoon, Henrietta Milliken was a passenger in a Dodge Caravan traveling on State Highway 198 near Caney City. A trailer, hauling a boat, came loose from a pick-up, crossed into the opposite lane, and hit the Caravan head on. Milliken was flown to a Tyler hospital for treatment.
Melancon maintains the Dangerous Trailers.com website that lists accounts of trailer-related accidents that have resulted in deaths and injuries nationwide. The site is filled with newspaper accounts of the wrecks and many pictures of victims.
Some stories from Texas include the death of a 54-year-old man from Mesquite who was killed when struck by a trailer on North Central Expressway of Dallas. In that case, the truck pulling the trailer was driven by a 30-year-old Mabank man.
In another case two Texas A&M University-Commerce students were killed, and one injured when their SUV was hit by a trailer that came loose from a truck, and crossed the Interstate 30 median, east of Royse City.
Melancon wants Texas to toughen up its standard requirements for utility trailer hitches. He also says that trailers weighing less than 3,000 pounds have no construction or quality standards in the state.
"These trailers that come lose cause havoc, not to the driver of the trailer, but to the citizens of Texas," Melancon said.
Trailers that come loose are not the only danger, Melancon said. Many trailers are on the road without reflective lights or they have lights that are not working.
Melancon wants to see the federal government set trailer standards that apply for all 50 states.
"If a truck starts in Texas, he should meet the same standards as in Virginia or another state," Melancon said.
To see more of the Athens Daily Review or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.athensreview.com/ . Copyright (c) 2010, Athens Daily Review, Texas Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com , call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Man alerts people about trailer-towing dangers
March 19, 2010
Man alerts people about trailer-towing dangers
Athens — Not long after he read the Athens Review account of an 88-year-old woman injured when a boat trailer came loose from its towing vehicle and slammed into a van, Ron Melancon was on the phone.
Melancon wants to alert anyone who will listen to the potential dangers of passenger cars pulling trailers. Now based in Glen Allen Virginia, the Houston native says trailers have killed 2,165 in the state since 1975.
“There’s so much attention paid to the Toyota recall when trailers have killed many more people,” Melancon said.
Sunday afternoon, Henrietta Milliken was a passenger in a Dodge Caravan traveling on State Highway 198 near Caney City. A trailer, hauling a boat, came loose from a pick-up, crossed into the opposite lane, and hit the Caravan head on. Milliken was flown to a Tyler hospital for treatment.
Melancon maintains the Dangerous Trailers.com website that lists accounts of trailer-related accidents that have resulted in deaths and injuries nationwide. The site is filled with newspaper accounts of the wrecks and many pictures of victims.
Some stories from Texas include the death of a 54-year-old man from Mesquite who was killed when struck by a trailer on North Central Expressway of Dallas. In that case, the truck pulling the trailer was driven by a 30-year-old Mabank man.
In another case two Texas A&M University-Commerce students were killed, and one injured when their SUV was hit by a trailer that came loose from a truck, and crossed the Interstate 30 median, east of Royse City.
Melancon wants Texas to toughen up its standard requirements for utility trailer hitches. He also says that trailers weighing less than 3,000 pounds have no construction or quality standards in the state.
“These trailers that come lose cause havoc, not to the driver of the trailer, but to the citizens of Texas,” Melancon said.
Trailers that come loose are not the only danger, Melancon said. Many trailers are on the road without reflective lights or they have lights that are not working.
Melancon wants to see the federal government set trailer standards that apply for all 50 states.
“If a truck starts in Texas, he should meet the same standards as in Virginia or another state,” Melancon said.
Letter: Something should be done about crashes
http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20100320/WRT06/3200333Letter: Something should be done about crashes
My brother died Aug. 4, 2005, because a northern Wisconsin motorcycle business didn't properly hook up its enclosed trailer when it was hauling a three-wheeler. Well, it went through his windshield, killing him, leaving behind a wife and two little boys.
Toyota has a recall because at least 40 people died in 10 years, and yet 400 people died in one year the same way my brother did and nobody knows it!
How many families have to go through the pain that my family is still feeling? Please go to www.dangeroustrailers.org and take a look at all the people who have died. Can't something be done?
Donna Moser
Wisconsin Rapids
ChapterT1 wrote:
Your loss was very sudden and very tragic.
I feel the Spirit of the Lord urging me to let you know that He loves you, your brother, your brother's family and everyone. God is patient, not wanting any to leave this life just to enter an eternal hell, God wants you in heaven with him precious people.
If this happened to you or one of your loved ones, do you know with 100% certainty where you or they will be when this precious life has ended? We ALL have sinned and need forgiveness to enter the gates of heaven.
Jesus shed his blood for the forgiveness of ALL who would accept it. Its not yours unless you take it. You must choose heaven. Can anyone really say they don't want to enter heaven one day? Who is offered free food and walks away from it. Or free drink? Yet many are passing on the free gift of heaven -
We cannot prevent all accidents and untimely deaths, but we can ALL be reunited one day.
Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior with your WHOLE heart today!
3/23/2010 5:55:12 AM
I feel the Spirit of the Lord urging me to let you know that He loves you, your brother, your brother's family and everyone. God is patient, not wanting any to leave this life just to enter an eternal hell, God wants you in heaven with him precious people.
If this happened to you or one of your loved ones, do you know with 100% certainty where you or they will be when this precious life has ended? We ALL have sinned and need forgiveness to enter the gates of heaven.
Jesus shed his blood for the forgiveness of ALL who would accept it. Its not yours unless you take it. You must choose heaven. Can anyone really say they don't want to enter heaven one day? Who is offered free food and walks away from it. Or free drink? Yet many are passing on the free gift of heaven -
We cannot prevent all accidents and untimely deaths, but we can ALL be reunited one day.
Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior with your WHOLE heart today!
3/23/2010 5:55:12 AM
DMoser26 wrote:
My brother was not following behind the trailer! He was going north and they were going south, the ball was too small and the chains were rusty and the air break was not hooked up. The trailer hit him head on, he had no chance to react, no good byes and no I love yous!! Most cases it is not that someone is following too close, they never seen it coming (your dead). My brother sold trailer parts for a living and really knew his stuff!! The weekend before he was killed he told my brother-in-law that he better make sure his trailer was hooked up right and pulled up on it three time! Ron thank you for all your hard work, we love you for that!!!
3/22/2010 9:42:49 AM
3/22/2010 9:42:49 AM
jmreiff wrote:
Donna:
I am so sorry to learn of your tragic loss.As an experienced defective trailer and product liability lawyer since 1979,I am very much aware of a dramatic increase in the number of catastrophic injuries and fatalities which occur as a result of minimal regulation and construction and design defects with regard to trailers.We have noted that many trailers under the GVWR of 3000lbs are not subject to safety regulations which generally is an invitation to senseless injuries and deaths of otherwise innocent vitims.In the many cases that we have investigated,we have found many obvious safety regulations with regard to braking systems and design,lighting ,hitching and inspection requirements.I agree with consumer advocate Ron Melancon,one of the unsung heroes of consumer safety who emphasizes that manufacturers will continue to place an emphasis on profitability rather than consumer safety unless they are taken to task by responsible lawmakers.Jeffrey M. Reiff www.reiffandbily.com
3/22/2010 9:12:43 AM
I am so sorry to learn of your tragic loss.As an experienced defective trailer and product liability lawyer since 1979,I am very much aware of a dramatic increase in the number of catastrophic injuries and fatalities which occur as a result of minimal regulation and construction and design defects with regard to trailers.We have noted that many trailers under the GVWR of 3000lbs are not subject to safety regulations which generally is an invitation to senseless injuries and deaths of otherwise innocent vitims.In the many cases that we have investigated,we have found many obvious safety regulations with regard to braking systems and design,lighting ,hitching and inspection requirements.I agree with consumer advocate Ron Melancon,one of the unsung heroes of consumer safety who emphasizes that manufacturers will continue to place an emphasis on profitability rather than consumer safety unless they are taken to task by responsible lawmakers.Jeffrey M. Reiff www.reiffandbily.com
3/22/2010 9:12:43 AM
Hamguy wrote:
This is surely a tragic story. It is sad when anyone dies on our roads, for whatever reason. There is a general failure on the part of all drivers that the roads are not safeways but are full of potential danger; there are risks when we take to the road. While it may be fair to say that legislation might help reduce incidents involving trailers and new laws will probably have an effect for the good, we need to be more alert when traveling near vehicles pulling trailers. Keeping our distance when following a trailer will improve safety. We often forget that we should keep at least 10 feet behind for every ten miles per hour. This tends to provide a cushion when something in front of us goes awry. Lets push for more highway safety but be sure our own driving habits are consistent with the safety rules already on the books.
3/21/2010 8:21:22 AM
3/21/2010 8:21:22 AM
RonMelancon wrote:
We have even recoreded 9 police officers, 2 Fireman and 1 FBI agent...along with his son killed by the same manner that took the life of John Lottier...
Ziegler was in his patrol car heading south on U.S. 67 on the morning of Sept. 29, 2001, when a utility trailer broke loose from a northbound sport utility vehicle. The trailer slammed into Ziegler's car. The 32-year-old officer died the following day at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis.
Before he ever became a road deputy, while still a jailer for Sheriff Dan Bullock, Ziegler was given the nickname "Chachi." It came from a character on the old television series "Happy Days" and stuck with him after he became a road officer.
Ziegler was the father of four children. His wife and children became the first in our county to benefit from the recently formed St. Francois County chapter of the Backstoppers.
Go to http://www.dangeroustrailers.org/Police_Officers_Killed.html
And still NOTHING is done!
3/20/2010 10:33:38 AM
Ziegler was in his patrol car heading south on U.S. 67 on the morning of Sept. 29, 2001, when a utility trailer broke loose from a northbound sport utility vehicle. The trailer slammed into Ziegler's car. The 32-year-old officer died the following day at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis.
Before he ever became a road deputy, while still a jailer for Sheriff Dan Bullock, Ziegler was given the nickname "Chachi." It came from a character on the old television series "Happy Days" and stuck with him after he became a road officer.
Ziegler was the father of four children. His wife and children became the first in our county to benefit from the recently formed St. Francois County chapter of the Backstoppers.
Go to http://www.dangeroustrailers.org/Police_Officers_Killed.html
And still NOTHING is done!
3/20/2010 10:33:38 AM
RonMelancon wrote:
Please note that our Organization has introduced New legislation in Virginia this year. It is Senate Bill 646...
Go to Virginia General Assembly then under the Capitol click Legislative Information Systems then go to bills and resolutions and in the box type SB646.
The reason we have not done a press release on this...or posted the results on our web site is we do NOT want to give the industry a Head Up...so they can try to lobby to stop it.
It passed the House of Delegates 99-0 UNCONTESTED... It passed the Senate 40-0 UNCONTESTED it has been signed by the President of the Senate...Lt. Governor Bill Boling... and it was signed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. It is awaiting to be sigend by our New Governor Bob McDonnell.
It is our understanding that no matter how much the Utility Trailer Industry is willing to stop this....they will not be able to . We will Keep this paper aware of the progress of this. Virginia is the First and Only State so far to enact.
3/20/2010 8:39:47 AM
Go to Virginia General Assembly then under the Capitol click Legislative Information Systems then go to bills and resolutions and in the box type SB646.
The reason we have not done a press release on this...or posted the results on our web site is we do NOT want to give the industry a Head Up...so they can try to lobby to stop it.
It passed the House of Delegates 99-0 UNCONTESTED... It passed the Senate 40-0 UNCONTESTED it has been signed by the President of the Senate...Lt. Governor Bill Boling... and it was signed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. It is awaiting to be sigend by our New Governor Bob McDonnell.
It is our understanding that no matter how much the Utility Trailer Industry is willing to stop this....they will not be able to . We will Keep this paper aware of the progress of this. Virginia is the First and Only State so far to enact.
3/20/2010 8:39:47 AM
RonMelancon wrote:
This letter is a courageous example of a person willing to contact me when she discovered I had covered her brothers death. I did not contact this person many years ago as it is not my place to do so. Please understand that we do not wish to bring additional pain and suffering to any familiy that sufferes the same type of accident.
The facts are the facts...we do not emblish the facts. Please go to our web site and see for yourself....NO STANDARDS ARE IN PLACE FOR ANY TRAILER JUST ONE pound under 3,000 GVWR. No training is required unlike driving a motorcycle.
The insurance industry has figured out that it is still cheaper to pay a $10,000,000 claim then address this issue. They have paid off familes that want to come forward yet need the funds for themselves. The issue is as more familes remain silent to this type of accidents then "others" are going to pay the price.
Why for the past 7 years they have ignored our cause? WHY? How many more need to loose thier lives?
3/20/2010 8:19:53 AM
The facts are the facts...we do not emblish the facts. Please go to our web site and see for yourself....NO STANDARDS ARE IN PLACE FOR ANY TRAILER JUST ONE pound under 3,000 GVWR. No training is required unlike driving a motorcycle.
The insurance industry has figured out that it is still cheaper to pay a $10,000,000 claim then address this issue. They have paid off familes that want to come forward yet need the funds for themselves. The issue is as more familes remain silent to this type of accidents then "others" are going to pay the price.
Why for the past 7 years they have ignored our cause? WHY? How many more need to loose thier lives?
3/20/2010 8:19:53 AM
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Man pushes for safer trailers
Man pushes for safer trailers
Comments 3 | Recommend 4September 22, 2009 6:13 PM
Reflective tape that costs no more than $10 might have saved the life of Joan McKinney of Rockingham County, says safety advocate Ron Melancon.
McKinney, 51, was driving a tractor on High Rock Road in southeastern Rockingham County shortly after 8 p.m. on Sept. 11 when a truck struck the rear of the trailer she was pulling. The front of the trailer disengaged and sailed over the driver’s seat, striking McKinney on the head and killing her.
William Lynn, the man driving the truck, was unable to see the trailer, which was carrying hay, Trooper A.B. Alcorn of the state Highway Patrol reported.
There were no lights or reflectors on the rear of the trailer, according to Alcon’s draft report.
Between 1975 and 2008, 297 people in North Carolina and 15,213 in the U.S. have died in similar crashes involving trailers, many of which were without reflectors or reflective tape, says Melancon, who created Dangerous Trailers, an organization that pushes for legislation requiring trailer manufacturers to install reflective tape.
A salesman who lives in Richmond, Va., Melancon began working on the issue after he failed to see a trailer with no lights and reflectors and rear-ended it in 2003.
North Carolina law requires trailers 4,000 pounds or lighter have “two red reflectors of a diameter of not less than three inches,” that must be installed “so that each reflector is visible for at least 500 feet when approached by a motor vehicle displaying lawful undimmed headlights at night on an unlighted highway.”
The law, though, fails to specify who is responsible for installing the reflectors.
Fewer deaths would occur if manufacturers were required to equip their trailers with reflector tape, Melancon said.
On Tuesday, the Times-News asked Alamance County’s representatives in the General Assembly — state Reps. Alice Bordsen and Dan Ingle, and Sen. Tony Foriest — what they thought about adding the manufacturer requirement to state law.
Foriest said the issue is not among the items he is focusing on for the next legislative session but he isn’t against considering the idea. “I’m not opposed to doing whatever I can to save lives,” said Foriest, a Democrat who represents Alamance and Caswell counties. “If it can make a difference in the lives of our citizens, I wouldn’t mind being involved.”
“It sounds like that the state has it etched in law that (reflectors) will be there,” said Ingle, a Republican who represents District 64, which covers mostly rural areas of Alamance County.
Many trailers on local roads are homemade rigs and therefore wouldn’t be covered by a change in the law, Ingle said.
It would be more effective, Ingle added, to raise awareness about the current law’s requirements through farmer’s groups like the Farm Bureau.
Bordsen, a Democrat who represents District 63, a boot-shaped stretch that extends from the Alamance County’s northeastern corner through Burlington, said it appears at first glance that state law should be clearer in spelling out who is responsible for installing reflectors. “In principle, I have no opposition, but I would like to know more.”
Bordsen thinks it would be a good idea to bring together manufacturers, retailers, trailer users and other stakeholders to discuss the issue and weigh factors like cost, benefits and possible consequences of changing the law. One issue that could prove thorny, Bordsen said, is the question of how to deal with those who drive trailers from other states into North Carolina.
Melancon successfully pushed for a law in Virginia requiring two or more reflectors or more than eight feet of reflective tape on the rear of trailers. Requiring trailer manufacturers to install quality reflective tape would cost $8 to $10, he said. He is not a fan of plastic reflectors. “The little cheap reflectors snap off and break.”
In other states, manufacturers worried about cost and competition have been fighting his efforts, he said.
At least one major retailer based in North Carolina puts the tape on every trailer they sell.
Since May 2005, reflective tape has been standard equipment on all trailers sold by the Lowes, Inc. of Mooresville, said company spokeswoman Karen Cobb. The tape, Cobb said, conforms to all federal and state requirements.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Coroner calls for A1 tow bar check
Note: What about the United States??What about the United Kingdom?
We have the same problem here in our Country....
Why is New Zeland acting and we are not?
It is because of the powerful "Utility Trailer Industry" they have lobbied our Political leaders.
Coroner calls for A1 tow bar check
By LEIGHTON KEITH - Taranaki Daily NewsRelevant offers
A coroner has urged all motorists with a particular brand of tow bar to have a safety check done.
A faulty tow bar, made by Auckland's A1 Bars 1994 Ltd, was found to be responsible for the death of former Taranaki cricket representative Donovan Allen Shelver in November 2005, at a coroner's inquest at the New Plymouth courthouse in August.
The 28-year-old was killed when a boat and trailer broke away from the towing vehicle and speared into his ute, on State Highway 3, near Inglewood.
A police Serious Crash Unit report concluded the direct cause of the crash could be attributed to the failure of the tow bar assembly located near the vehicle's chassis.
Coroner Tim Scott has recommended that anyone who owned or used a vehicle fitted with a tow bar made by the company have a safety compliance check carried out.
"Either at a warrant of fitness testing station or by a competent engineering specialist," Mr Scott said.
One report said the design and workmanship on the tow bar was appalling, while another stated its design strength was totally inadequate.
Mr Scott also recommended the New Zealand Transport Agency draw the public's attention to the concerns by placing safety concern notices in daily newspapers and other publications.
Police considered laying criminal charges against the director of A1 Bars 1994 Ltd, Roger Provan, but as it no longer existed no charges were laid.
Mr Provan is still making tow bars under the company name A1 Bars Ltd, which was first registered in April 2002.
At the August inquest Mr Scott also wanted the NZTA to set mandatory safety standards for light duty tow bars.
He directed the NZTA to report back on its progress within three months.
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