Trailer safety: tow WISER this summer

Drivers pulling caravans, horse boxes, boats and other trailers are encouraged to tow WISER this summer. Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist offers a line-up of five simple tips for safer towing in an attempt to reduce incidents, injuries and unnecessary breakdown call-outs.

All drivers with full licences are entitled to tow trailers, caravans and horse boxes. There’s no requirement for an additional test. However, GEM urges inexperienced drivers to build confidence by booking onto a towing course where they will learn the basics of safe hitching and reversing. These courses are available from caravanning organisations and driver training schools across the country. It’s also a good idea to practice basic manoeuvres away from the public road.

GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst said: “We want everyone to have a trouble-free summer on the roads. If you’re towing for the first time or the 100^th time, then please put safety first on every journey.

“Trailer towing tests were abandoned three years ago, which means individual responsibility must be even more of a priority for every driver who’s towing. We all need to ensure we know what we’re doing before setting off.

“For example, do we have the skill to reverse on a narrow lane if circumstances require? Do we know what to expect if we encounter strong crosswinds? Or how to deal with an unstable caravan that starts snaking behind the vehicle?

“As many owners of trailers and caravans tend to use them infrequently, it’s important to ensure the trailer is in a fit state for the road, as well as checking load distribution, lights, tyres, brakes and couplings.”

GEM offers the following tips for safer towing this summer:

W is for weight:
You can check the ‘Gross Train Weight’ (this is the weight of your fully-loaded car plus a fully-loaded trailer) on the car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) plate. It’s an offence to drive your car if you’ve exceeded this weight. Make allowances for limited acceleration and longer stopping distances. With a loaded trailer you may not stop as quickly as you are used to, so leave plenty of space.  

I is for insurance:
Most car insurance policies cover you for towing a caravan or trailer. However, this will usually only be third party, meaning for example that if your caravan became detached from the car you would be covered for injury to other people or damage to their property, but your own caravan would not be covered. Do also ensure you have appropriate breakdown cover. Most recovery companies won’t cover a trailer unless it is specified in your contract.

GEM Motoring Assist’s award-winning breakdown recovery service does cover trailers and caravans. A caravan or trailer attached to a broken down vehicle will be recovered with the vehicle, driver and the passengers. In the event of a breakdown to the caravan or trailer being towed by the vehicle, GEM will recover it to any one place you choose within the territorial limits (T&Cs apply).

S is for speed:
Speed limits for vehicles towing trailers are lower than you might be used to if you’re not towing. On single-carriageway roads your maximum speed is 50mph, while on dual carriageways and motorways the maximum speed is 60mph. There are other rules when towing, so check you’re aware of them. For example, you must not use the third lane of a three-lane motorway. The penalty is £100 and three points on your licence.

E is for engine:
Consider whether your car is powerful enough to be towing your trailer. A good rule of thumb is to check the maximum mass of the trailer. If it’s 85% or less than the total kerb weight of the car, then towing should be fine.

R is for reversing:
The best advice is slow and steady. The slower you do it, the less likely you are to get into trouble. Find a big empty field or car park so you can quietly practice and make your own mistakes. To steer the trailer, remember that you need to move the wheel in the opposite direction to that if you were reversing the car with no trailer. This can be really tricky, but practice makes perfect – the more you do it the more natural it becomes.