The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) is preparing for the inaugural National Trailer Safety Week, an awareness campaign designed to promote trailer safety through education and advocacy.
The first Safety Week is set for June 3-9, with three events in Pennsylvania.
The goal is to close the communications gap between trailer manufacturers and end-users to make towing safer.
CAR MATE Trailers and BWise Manufacturing are hosting onsite events and inviting dealers, legislators and end-users to learn more about towing safety. Through these Safety Week events, hosts communicate crucial how-to information regarding proper towing, loading and maintenance to improve safety on the nation’s roadways.
“End-users are vastly undereducated on the proper use of trailers,” NATM said in a release. “It is crucial to utilize the connections that dealers and manufacturers have with consumers to increase safety and awareness.”
NATM surveyed dealers across the country to understand the resources and information end-users need. Using their feedback, NATM developed materials to help determine if a tow vehicle and trailer combination are correct for a specific haul, how to hitch equipment, loading fundamentals, basic maintenance and driving tips.
To make sure this information reaches end-users, NATM created www.trailersafetyweek.com, which is a useful tool for trailer dealers to pass along.
In addition to resources found on the website, trailer dealers and manufacturers can attend various events across the nation. Dealers will learn about the NATM Compliance Verification Program and the importance of building to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and attendees also will learn about the resources available for end-users.
Copies of NATM’s Trailer Safety Handbook will be distributed, as well as key chains that feature the NATM Trailer Safety Week website for dealers to give to end-users.