I read the article too and don't really know what to think. Even the chairman Mr. Shoen acknowledged that the brakes were not working in the accident with the two girls, but denied the company was responsible. He alluded to this several times in the article. It also seems that most of the cases were settled out of court and the payouts are secret. Why?
Anyway, I agree that most people (including myself) don't know how to tow anything correctly. If I was going on a long journey, I would read up on what to do with a trailer and take it slow.
Here's a link to the California DMV license classes:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/pgs03thru06.htm (scroll about halfway down).
Dave