New UK Towing Safety Alliance to promote safer towing

A new initiative has been launched to help improve towing safety across the UK, and Caravan Guard is keen to help share its vital messages.

The NCC (National Caravan Council) is one of the founding members of the newly-formed UK Towing Safety Alliance, a coalition of organisations untied to raise awareness of safe towing practices across the UK for both leisure and work drivers.

Working in partnership with the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), the Alliance brings together a range of organisations from across towing and leisure industries. These include TyreSafe, Road Safety GB, Tilly Your Trailer, the British Horse Society (BHS), and others – all working together to make towing safer.

The Alliance’s first major campaign called TLC – Tyres, Load, Connectivity, provides practical advice to help drivers check their caravans, trailers and other towed vehicles are safe and roadworthy.

We highlight these issues in several of our videos, such as making a PACT for caravan tyre and wheel safety, loading your caravan correctly, and how to check your caravan is correctly hitched up to your tow car.

The TLC campaign focuses on these three simple but essential towing safety checks:

• Tyres: Making sure tyres are correctly inflated, have sufficient tread, and are free from any signs of damage or deterioration, including age-related cracking.

• Load: Checking that your caravan is loaded securely, evenly, and within legal weight limits.

• Connectivity: Double-checking that your breakaway cables, lights, and electrical connections are correctly attached and in full working order.

Simon McGrath, the NCC’s Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, said: “The NCC is committed to improving awareness of towing safely across the leisure vehicle industry, and we are proud to support the new UK Towing Safety Alliance and the TLC campaign as a founding member. The campaign provides practical and clear guidance that will help prevent avoidable towing incidents on our roads. Caravanning is a much-loved leisure pastime, and with more awareness and action, we can help make towing safer for everyone. We are urging all our members to embrace the campaign and share its key messages to help keep customers, families, and other road users safe.”

Jamie Hassall, Executive Director at PACTS, commented on the importance of the Alliance. He said: “The statistics from both the DVSA and National Highways demonstrate an urgent need to improve towing safety across the UK. Through the UK Towing Safety Alliance and the launch of the TLC campaign, we are bringing together expertise from a wide range of organisations to advocate for safer towing practices. This collaborative effort will ensure that drivers have the knowledge and resources they need to make informed decisions and reduce the risks associated with towing.”

Helping caravanners stay safe

As specialist caravan insurance providers, Caravan Guard fully supports this new initiative. Simple checks before a journey can prevent accidents and caravan insurance claims, helping protect not only caravanners but everyone sharing the road.

By taking time to focus on your tyres, load, and connectivity before every trip, you’re more likely to enjoy a safer and relaxing caravanning experience.

You can find out more about the UK Towing Safety Alliance and download free TLC campaign resources at: www.towing-safety.uk