Terrifying moment drivers narrowly avoid death as ute towing a caravan exposes dangerous fault hiding in plain sight

Terrifying footage has captured the moment the wheels on a caravan being towed by a ute snapped off before it nearly crashed into an oncoming car on a busy road. 

The shocking incident was captured on dash cam from a vehicle that was driving behind the caravan.

The axle carrying the two rear wheels suddenly broke away from the trailer causing the ute to swerve off the road and onto the grass on the roadside.

The heart-stopping accident happened just as another ute was passing the caravan with both vehicles narrowly avoiding an accident.

The motorist in the car driving behind the trailer was left stunned.

‘S**t, f*** a brick,’ he said. ‘He was lucky as f***’. 

The passenger in the car could be heard saying ‘let’s make sure he’s alright’.  

Plumes of smoke could be seen billowing from the trailer.

Social media users praised the driver of the ute for their quick thinking. 

‘Full props to the driver for the save,’ one person wrote. 

‘What a bloody save by the driver,’ another wrote.

‘He done well to keep that upright,’ a third added. 

Others said the incident was a reminder for motorists to stay a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of them.

‘That’s why you don’t tailgate. Stay two seconds or more back,’ one person wrote.  

‘This isn’t tailgating,’ another person replied.

Some commenters made suggestions about what may have caused the incident. 

‘That [would] be some snapped u-bolts,’ another person wrote. 

‘That happen to me as well, the u-bolts on [the] second axle snapped,’ another person wrote. 

‘Weak/faulty/broken leaf spring or rusted bolt/mounts. I had this happen on a trailer, except only one side let go (right side),’ a third chimed in. 

One commenter said the driver of the ute was towing ‘a poorly built camper trailer’ and they urged the motorist to get the trailer inspected by the manufacturer.

Caravan axles are a critical metal component of the trailer as it connects the trailer to the wheels to ensure a caravan can be towed safely on the road.

While it is common for axle failures to occur several behaviours can inadvertently contribute to the issue such as overloading a caravan. 

When a caravan is overloaded the excess weight puts unnecessary pressure on the axle.

Axle failures can also occur if the suspension has been affected. Motorists are urged to regularly check and maintain caravan axles. 

Drivers should also avoid driving too fast while towing a caravan as this will increase the shock load on the axle, which can damage the structure. 

Caravans need to comply with vehicle safety regulations in Australia as outlined in the Australian Design Rules (ADRs). 

Motorists in all states need to ensure their caravans have been properly inspected to assess whether they are suitable to be towed on roads across the country.