Here's a fact: Most drivers don't have a clue about how to set up and load a trailer, or how to handle a trailer on the road. But if you ask people who trailer occasionally they'll probably tell you there's not much to it, and they don't really need a course in trailering safety.

That's what Master Lock, a major manufacturer of trailering equipment (in addition to gym locker padlocks), discovered in a recent survey to find out just how much drivers really knew about trailering. The results weren't pretty.

As with anything—especially things that weigh a couple of tons and travel at highway speeds—there's a right way and a wrong way. Unfortunately, getting it wrong with a trailer attached to your vehicle can have potentially tragic consequences.

According to the survey, towing accidents have increased dramatically year over year, and nearly three-quarters of all drivers polled who had used a trailer had said that they learned to tow by trial and error. Think there's a connection?

If you're planning to head out on the road with a camper, travel trailer, or load carrier, do yourself and everyone else a favor and learn the proper way to drive with a trailer and how to distribute trailer loads. It's not hard to do, and plenty of free, valuable information is available.

Following are a few tips to get you started, along with a list of online information resources that will help guarantee you remain safe and not sorry.

Next see:

• Vehicle and Trailer Set-up
• Proper Load Distribution
• How to Drive With a Trailer
• Information Resources

—MM