UK industry bodies support towing safety campaign

Two of the UK’s major caravan industry bodies – the Approved Workshop Scheme (AWS) and the National Caravan Council (NCC) – have offered their full support to a UK Government campaign for safe towing. The SAFE campaign has been launched by the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Standard’s Agency (DVLA) and aims to help caravanners focus on safety when towing. Interest in caravanning is enduring an all-time high in the UK with many campers either returning to or trying the hobby for the first time. That combined with the fact that many caravans have been in storage for long periods due to the coronavirus lockdown, means it is especially prudent that towers know what safety checks they should be carrying out.

 

The SAFE message being promoted by both AWS and NCC stands for:

S – has it been Serviced recently?

A – have you got enough Air in your tyres? Check pressure, tread depth and condition.

F – have you Fitted the breakaway cable or safety chain and checked electrical connections and cables?

E – what are your lights looking like, have you Examined them properly? Check load and weight limit, mirrors and do the jockey wheel test before you travel.

 

The AWS is a service that caravan owners can use to find trusted, high-quality caravan service centres via its app and website. AWS manager Sarah Wigmore said: “All caravan owners to book as soon as you can to get your caravan or trailer checked by a professional and to carry out these simple caravan checks before every new journey to get back on the road safely.”

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