With ‘staycations’ becoming ever more popular across our fair country, caravan owners are coming into their own. Gone is the wanton persecution from Top Gear viewers, the difficulty in finding a suitable space in the car park and people overtaking dangerously on motorways. Caravanning has become retro-cool, with hipsters queuing up to get involved and caravan parks soaring in popularity; it is estimated that there are nearly 500,000 touring caravans, 112,000 motorhomes and 335,000 caravan holiday homes - altogether making almost a million leisure vehicles in use in Britain.
However, with an increase in the amount of people caravanning, there has also been an increase in the amount of related accidents. Yes, even these symbols of gentle family holidays to the seaside can cause some pretty horrific mishaps if proper safety precautions aren’t taken, as well as thousands of pounds worth of damage to the owner. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of the most frequent causes of caravan accidents…. Read and heed!
1) One of the main causes of caravan accidents is actually travelling on the road, especially if you’re driving in heavy traffic. Unfortunately, many caravanners will forget to ensure that the van is completely secured to the car before leaving; this can result in the entire caravan coming away from the vehicle while you’re driving. Another problem is the actual size of the caravan itself; some motorists may try to overtake but, being unable to see very well past it, can risk colliding with oncoming traffic. In order to lessen the chances of such an accident, always drive carefully and safely and DOUBLE-CHECK the connecting cables before you set off. It pays to be careful!
2) Never over-load your caravan with too much luggage and then expect the car to be able to get it up the mountain, or even steep slopes, quickly and easy. The extra weight can often be too much for the average family car to manage – there are countless cases of caravans dragging cars back down hills.
3) Don’t let the kids, or anyone else for that matter, ride in the caravan while it’s moving. They may think it’s one giant adventure, but without proper seatbelts, motion sickness will be the least of your worries. It’s not only dangerous but also illegal; in short, don’t take the risk.
4) Having your property broken into is more than just intrusive and upsetting, it can also cost you giant wads of cash, especially if you haven’t taken steps to protect the caravan. Although this one isn’t strictly an accident, the amount of preventable caravan-robberies is way too high; partly because many people let their guard down when they’re holidaying. To prevent this, invest in decent locks and an alarm, and consider investing in high-powered security lights as well, if all else fails, they make fabulous nightlights.
Going on a caravanning holiday is an exciting experience, especially if you’ve never done it before. However, it’s also vital that you stay as safe as possible with your van, particularly in the high summer months when people are off on holiday and the roads are even more crowded.
Although caravan insurance isn’t compulsory, without it you could find yourself footing the bill for the accident, which’ll generally take the edge off the relaxing vacation! So our advice is to get some insurance quotes, read our article and protect yourself, in case the worst does happen… better safe than sorry. Have fun!