Avoid Caravan Towing Accidents With These Important Tips

1. Leave Enough Space Behind Other Cars

If the combined length of your car and caravan is greater than 7.5m, you need to leave at least 200m of space between you and other similar vehicles/caravan combos or long vehicles in front of you outside of built-up areas.

This is to ensure that you are able to stop your vehicle and caravan slowly and safely in the event of an emergency

2. Don’t Overload Your Vehicle

Always be sure to check what your car’s towing capacity is before you hook a caravan to it. This is common sense as well as the law.

You are legally not allowed to hitch your caravan to your car if it exceeds your vehicle’s carrying capacity – doing so can result in fines, not to mention that it’s a serious hazard for yourself and other road users.

3. Stick To A Safe Speed

Always be sure to stick to a safe speed, especially when you are towing a caravan.

Even in areas where 100km/h or above is the legal speed limit, it is recommended that you stick to around 80/90km/h to be safe. This reduced speed will help you stay in control of your caravan.

4. Be Aware Of Sway

A swaying caravan is not only terrifying for the individuals driving it, but it can potentially be dangerous as well if you’re unsure of how to handle the situation.

Swaying caravans are at risk of tipping over or even being sucked into the side of a passing truck. While it may seem counter-intuitive, it’s important to maintain your speed and accelerate slowly – do not slow down or brake.

5. Turn Wide

Slow and steady is going to win the race when it comes to turning corners. Turn slow and wide as you’re going to need extra space to ensure that you don’t destabilise the caravan.

To make things easier for you, you can invest in towing mirrors which will increase your range of sight – these will give you a clear view of the front, rear and sides of the caravan as you turn.