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Utah Local Governments Trust trainer reviews trailer safety basics for local drivers
Summary
Jason Watterson of the Utah Local Governments Trust led a virtual safety briefing covering trailer ratings, hitching, load distribution, lights, tires, and backing techniques; he emphasized a 10% tongue-weight rule, pre-trip inspections and extended following distances when towing.
Jason Watterson, a safety presenter with the Utah Local Governments Trust, led a virtual briefing on trailer safety, saying the topic matters to anyone who tows equipment or recreational trailers. “My name is Jason Watterson, and I've been doing this for quite a while,” he told attendees, noting he has worked with the trust for about 18 years.
Watterson opened by saying the session was not a Department of Transportation training but that DOT requirements apply to many towing situations. He emphasized that “it is all about the numbers,” explaining that trailers, hitches, couplers and towing vehicles each carry stamped weight ratings and must be matched to the load.
The presentation covered hitch components and fail-safes. Watterson described safety chains as a last-resort device if a trailer separates from its tow vehicle and advised crisscrossing chains so a detached trailer is “cradled” rather than scraping on the road. He also described the…
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