School summer holidays mean the true arrival of summer and the following six weeks will see more families taking to the road for holidays at home and abroad. In particular many families are opting for a holiday at home with one in five people planning a caravan or camping holiday this year, me included!
Nissan carried out a survey and found 20% of caravaners had actually only taking up towing within the last six months and an astonishing 40% of those who tow caravans have never received any training on how to do so safely.
Speak with most drivers and they’ll admit a lack of knowledge about the towing power of their own car. This lack of knowledge can result in drivers purchasing caravans, boats or even trailers which are being pulled by underpowered vehicles.
However, there are now many courses available up and down the country designed to help motorists learn how to tow safely, some of which are even free. You can also find online services where you can enter the make and model of your car along with the type of caravan you’re towing and they will provide all the information you need taking into account, top speeds, wind effects and road gradients. Another important factor to take into account is stability and if your car can tow a particular caravan safely. To help raise awareness and the importance of ensuring you’re towing a caravan safely, the Highways Agency has realesed a new safety DVD called ‘Fit to Tow’ that can be found on their website at www.highways.gov.uk.
Here’s my five top tips for towing this summer:
1. Check you are legally allowed to tow. Requirements differ according to when your license was issued
2. Know your towing limit as well as the maximum braked and unbraked towing weights (this can be found in your vehicle handbook)
3. Know the speed limits (60mph on motorways and dual carriageways and 50mph on single carriageways unless otherwise stated)
4. Allow more time and space for accelerating and braking
5. When approaching an incline select a lower gear in good time. Going uphill this provides extra power. Going down it reduces the strain on your vehicle’s brakes.
Enjoy your summer wherever you go and safe motoring.
Elliott Ramseys
Service Manager
