Conformité des remorques | conseils | entretien | réglementation

Controlling trailer sway or “S” swing

Trailer swaying or “S’ swinging is something that can occur when the hitch is seriously disturbed by air masses coming from opposite directions.

There are a number of factors that also explain the reason for this phenomenon or its worsening, for instance irregular tyre inflation, nonconforming hitch height or incorrect loading on the hitch.

When swaying begins and the trailer begins to swing violently from side to side, it ends up pulling the rear of the tow vehicle, resulting in a loss of its driving power.
It then becomes difficult to control the rig and an accident is often inevitable.

It is particularly important to keep your speed in check and avoid this extreme situation.

If the process has not already gone too far, simply downshift to add extra driving power to the tow vehicle.

NEVER brake abruptly but slow the rig down gradually.
These recommendations do not replace the Highway Code and cannot be considered binding on the manufacturer’s liability.