DfT rules out mandatory registration and test scheme for trailers

There is to be no mandatory registration and testing scheme for trailers, after a review found human error is a far more common reason for serious incidents.

The DfT found that trailer defects are not a major cause of injury incidents and from the data collated, there were just 20 collisions in 2017 that resulted in injury or death where a vehicle defect in a trailer was a contributory factor.

The findings are revealed in the recently published "Trailer Safety Statutory Report: Moving Britain Ahead".

Additional DVSA data showed just 5% of heavy, commercial trailers stopped in random checks were issued with immediate prohibitions, as opposed to 29% for light trailers.

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About half of light trailers checked were non-compliant and the DfT said the poor level of compliance among this class of trailer was a concern and that there may be additional stops of caravans during the summer months.

However, it concluded that a trailer registration scheme would have no discernible direct safety benefit.

The report said: “A clear majority of accidents generally are caused by users rather than vehicles and this is felt to be the case in relation to trailers.

“These concerns would not be addressed directly if we were to introduce testing and registration.”