4
4-1. Before driving
Driving
steps listed.
Your vehicle will handle differently
when towing a trailer. In order to avoid
accident, death or serious injury, keep
the following in mind when towing:
Q Checking connections between
trailer and lights
Stop the vehicle and check the opera-
tion of the connection between the
trailer and lights after driving for a brief
period as well as before starting off.
Q Practicing driving with a coupled
trailer
z Get the feel for turning, stopping
and reversing with the trailer cou-
pled by practicing in an area with no
or light traffic.
z When reversing with a coupled
trailer, hold the section of the steer-
ing wheel nearest to you and rotate
clockwise to turn the trailer left or
counterclockwise to turn it right.
Always rotate a little at a time to
prevent steering error. Have some-
one guide you when reversing to
lessen the risk of an accident.
Q Increasing vehicle-to-vehicle dis-
tance
At a speed of 10 km/h (6 mph), the dis-
tance to the vehicle running ahead of
you should be equivalent to or greater
than the combined length of your vehi-
cle and trailer. Avoid sudden braking
that may cause skidding. Otherwise,
the vehicle may spin out of control. This
is especially true when driving on wet
or slippery road surfaces.
Q Sudden acceleration/steering
input/cornering
Executing sharp turns when towing
may result in the trailer colliding with
your vehicle. Decelerate well in
advance when approaching turns and
take them slowly and carefully to avoid
sudden braking.
Q Important points regarding turning
The wheels of the trailer will travel
closer to the inside of the curve than
the wheels of the vehicle. To make
allowance for this, take the turns wider
than you would normally do.
Q Important points regarding stabil-
ity
Vehicle movement resulting from
uneven road surfaces and strong
crosswinds will affect handling. The
vehicle may also be rocked by passing
buses or large trucks. Frequently
check behind when moving alongside
such vehicles. As soon as such vehicle
movement occurs, immediately start to
decelerate smoothly by slowly apply-
ing the brakes. Always steer the vehi-
Guidance
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