Correcting Issues With Industrial Equipment

How Does A Receiver Hitch Respond In A Rear Collision?

7 March 2017 by Joann Freeman

Trailer hitches are necessary for pulling that camper you've dreamed of or a useful cargo carrier, and receiver hitches are popular because they offer the best control over what you're towing. However, rear-mounted receiver hitches also affect what happens to you and your car during a rear collision. Find out what happens and how you can prevent the more negative effects with a few simple adjustments.

Reduced Vehicle Damage

Installing a receiver hitch does help protect the rear of your vehicle from physical damage. The front of a vehicle that is colliding into you from behind makes contact with the hitch and sends the force through the frame instead of directly into your truck or hatchback and bumper. You'll spend less, on average, for body repairs to a vehicle equipped with this kind of hitch after a rear hit, but that doesn't mean you should install one just for this reason if you don't need it for towing.

Increased Risk of Injury

Aside from protecting the rear of your car's body, a trailer hitch also increases the chances of you and your passengers developing an injury during the accident. Specifically, the force transferred to the frame of the vehicle is more likely to cause whiplash and similar neck strain. Simply driving around with a receiver hitch on the vehicle increases your risk of whiplash by 22%. However, there are two equally easy ways to reduce this risk to near zero so you can enjoy the use of your trailer hitch without worrying about what will happen during an accident.

Advanced Equipment

Your first option is to choose a trailer hitch designed with a cushion mechanism to absorb as much of the shock generated during an accident as possible. This can range from an air chamber that functions hydraulically to advanced polymer materials originally designed for keeping space shuttles intact. As long as there's something to dampen the force that would otherwise travel through the vehicle's frame, you'll experience only a normal risk of whiplash and other injuries.

Another option is to remove the exposed part of the trailer hitch when you're not using it. Most hitches are designed to make removal of the ball relatively easy so you can restore the streamlined back end and avoid hitting your shins on the exposed part. Upgrade to a detachable hitch if you're using a fixed unit right now so that you can safely use your hitch whenever you need it.

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