What to Do When the Trailer Has No Brakes?
2 Answers
Control the direction of the vehicle, immediately shift from a high gear to a low gear to avoid collisions, and turn on the emergency signal lights. After correctly assessing the situation ahead, pull the handbrake to assist in deceleration. When the speed is very low, you can turn off the engine to assist. This allows the engine to assist in deceleration, utilizing the engine's traction resistance to reduce speed. After the speed has decreased somewhat, use the handbrake to brake until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
That day when I was towing a trailer, the brakes suddenly failed, which was absolutely terrifying. I immediately reduced to the lowest speed and pulled over safely, turning on the hazard lights to prevent being rear-ended. While waiting for rescue, I checked if any wiring connections had loosened—it might have been corrosion and breakage after the rain. The trailer was extremely heavy, and going downhill without brakes was even more dangerous. Never force it to keep driving. Later, I learned that I should have tested the brake fluid pressure and wire connections monthly, and simply tried the brake response a few times before towing to avoid such incidents. Experience taught me that safety should always come first, as small issues can turn into major hazards.
