East Anglia Officials Urging Trailer Safety This Summer

It is great that caravan owners are undergoing trailer training to prepare for the summer caravanning season. However, highway safety requires a little bit more. That is the message from officials in East Anglia as they encourage caravan owners to make sure their vehicles and trailers are roadworthy before setting out on the summer journey.

According to the Highways Agency, people towing trailers accounted for 268 accidents on regional roads in the east last summer. Nationally, more than 2,400 accidents were reported. Many of the accidents could have been avoided had trailer owners put into place some common sense safety practices.

Highways Agency manager Andy Whittington told EADT 24 that it is just common sense for caravan owners to check their trailers before taking them out for the first time in the season. He says owners should be checking the condition of tyres, whether or not their tow vehicle is a correct match for the trailer, and the general roadworthiness of both vehicles. When loading trailers, owners need to be careful not to exceed weight limits.

Trailer training is necessary in order to learn proper towing techniques as well. Driving while towing a trailer is markedly different from standard driving, especially at high speeds and in inclement weather. Not understanding proper towing techniques is a significant contributor to summertime crashes.

Caravan and trailer owners are urged to make sure their vehicles are roadworthy before embarking on short trips. When longer trips are involved, regular inspections should be performed along the way. Normal wear and tear can cause things to go wrong after just a few hundred miles. Regular inspections will help identify problems as soon as these occur.

Train with Us

The HGV Training Centre cannot do anything for you in terms of making sure your tow vehicle and trailer are roadworthy, but we can help you in your desire to be a roadworthy driver. We offer training programmes for owners of caravans, horsebox trailers, and light utility trailers. Our training is very helpful regardless of whether or not you need a special licence to tow.

Trailer training with us is a great way to refresh your towing skills at the start of the summer season. If you are new to towing, there is a lot to learn before you go on your first trip. We urge you to sign up for one of our training classes at your earliest convenience.

In addition to trailer training, the HGV Training Centre also provides driver training for commercial vehicles. Our students use our classes to train for driving articulated lorries, buses and coaches, tipper trucks, vans, horseboxes, heavy construction equipment, and more. Each of our classes is led by a qualified and experienced instructor who knows what it takes to ensure students succeed.

We remind fleet managers to take advantage of our CPC training as soon as possible. Remember that the deadline for training to be completed is September 14 of this year (2014).

Sources:

EADT 24 – http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/features/east_anglia_is_your_trailer_or_caravan_road_worthy_make_sure_you_check_before_you_tow_1_3688980