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Towing advice as summer holidays begin

29/07/2010

The Highways Agency is targeting drivers who are intending to tow caravans or trailers, as the summer holiday period gets underway.

Coming as part of its summer getaway advice, the agency has highlighted recent incidents involving overturned caravans - one on the M60 near Manchester, and another on the M5 near Bristol.

Despite acknowledging that the majority of those who tow are responsible, the agency says that towing incidents can cause "disproportionately long delays for other road users", along with distress all round for those directly involved.

Accidents can be caused by overloading the trailer or caravan, mis-matching the towing vehicle with its load, burst tyres, or poor technique by the driver - such as driving too fast.

The Highways Agency advises a final maintenance check before leaving on a journey, and ensuring that adequate provision has been made for breakdown and recovery.

Meanwhile, it highlights that drivers should take extra care when reversing, should be aware of the impact that towing has on a vehicle's performance, and should also ensure that loads are properly secured and distributed according to manufacturers' specifications. Further information is available on the agency's Fit to Tow? web page.

According to the Caravan Club, a safe towed load should be no more than 85% of the car's kerb weight, or the vehicle manufacturer's towing limit if lower.

Its technical manager Martin Spencer said that towing has a "very good overall safety record".

But he added: "When details of untoward incidents are reported to us... it is clear that in the overwhelming majority of cases, paying attention to a few simple guidelines would have prevented the incident occurring, allowing the driver and other road users to have had an uneventful journey."

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