THE CHRISTMAS TRAILER

 … Once upon a time there was a little trailer. 

He was only a little trailer. He lived in the barn behind Mr Towers house. 

Mr Tower’s house used to be a farm house.  Most of the land had been sold off for houses long long ago, but Mr Towers had kept a very big garden, full of lovely flowering shrubs and roses and he’d spent a long time making sure that all summer long there were flowers. 

At the back of the house Mr Towers had had a very very big vegetable patch.   He’d grown all his own vegetables. Mr Towers had also had an orchard, full of old apple and pear trees.  Mr Towers had always had plenty of fruit and vegetable to give to his friends and relations.  Sometimes Mr Towers sold the fruit and vegetables to passers-by, leaving them on a little table at the end of the drive, with a box for people to leave money.  Behind the house and down the lane Mr Towers had had a compost heap and a place where sometimes he had bonfires.

In days gone the little trailer had had a lovely time.   In the summer Mr Towers used to fill him up with prunings and bits from the garden and the vegetable patch and tow the little trailer down the lane to the compost heap behind the house.    In the autumn, Mr Towers took the little trailer down the lane to the back of the orchard and filled him up with fruit, taking the little trailer backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards between the orchard and the house until all the fruit was off the trees.  Then later on, some years Mr Towers would fill up the little trailer with things for a bonfire and have a lovely big bonfire, sometimes the grandchildren would come and they would have fireworks as well.

Nowadays the little trailer didn’t go out much.  Mr Towers was older and he couldn’t manage the big garden and the vegetable patch and the allotment anymore.   Mr Towers made the old garden into a lawn and a man came and mowed it in the summer.   He rented out what used to be the vegetable patch and the orchard to a lady and her daughters who had some ponies.  The place where the compost heap and the bonfire used to be were now a little lean-to stable.

For a long time the little trailer had been all by himself in the barn, with just the lawn mower and the rakes and spades, and an old wheelbarrow - and they weren’t very good company.   He used to think about the summer and the lane and Mr Towers and of the happy days he had had, going up and down the lane. 

In the last year, in the winter, a caravan had come to stay in the barn and had kept the little trailer company.   The caravan told him stories about all the different places he’d gone to – the seaside and the forests and the lakes.  He’d been to Wales and to Scotland.  One year he’d even gone on a boat to France, where they drove on the wrong side of the road, and none of the words on the signs made any sense, and where there were some roads which you had to pay to use.

The caravan told the trailer about the roads he’d been on.  Most of the roads the caravan went on were much bigger than the little lane.  Sometimes the roads had three lanes of traffic, all going in the same direction and the cars went ever so fast, although the caravan wasn’t allowed to go as fast as the cars.  

Sometimes the caravan went through busy towns, where there were ever so many other cars.   The caravan didn’t think that towns were meant for caravans.  There were lots of high buildings and so many cars and everyone was always busy busy busy, thinking about where they were going, not about where they were.  Sometimes, even though the caravan was ever so big, people didn’t see him, especially if he came round a corner with a high building, or if there were ever such a lot of other cars.   People seemed to look but not see what was in front of them.

The caravan said that one day he was on an island – he had to explain to the little trailer what an island was - and that even though he was ever such a big caravan, another car and its driver didn’t see him.  The other car tried to get between his own car and him.  If his driver hadn’t been very good he thought that something bad would have happened.  He said people didn’t always see what was right in front of them. 

The caravan said his driver was a very careful driver.  He said his driver knew that other drivers had lots of things to concentrate on when they were driving and he wanted to make sure that everyone knew about it when he was towing a caravan, just in case they didn’t notice.  The caravan said his driver had some special signs that he put on the car doors when they were going somewhere, “just to make sure”.  He said the signs were ever so clever – they were made of special magnetic material, so they went on and off the car doors ever so easily, and they even showed up in the dark.  The special signs said “TOWING” so that everyone would know.  The caravan said he wished everyone cared as much about being safe as much as his driver did.

The little trailer didn’t know whether he would ever go out of the barn again – he missed seeing the outdoors, especially the trees and the birds and the rabbits, and the grandchildren.  Even though the caravan kept him company in the winter, he was quite lonely.

One day Mr Towers came in to see the little trailer.    He had a man with him, a big round man with a very white beard – the other man looked even older than Mr Towers, but he was very jolly.  Mr Towers introduced the man to the trailer and the man laughed loudly and said “I think your little trailer will do very well!”  And then Mr Towers and the other man left.

The next day the little trailer had another visitor. A man in dark blue overalls came and he gave the little trailer some TLC.  The man in the blue overalls checked the little trailer over.   He checked that all his nuts and bolts were tight.  He oiled the bits that moved and he made sure the electric bits for the lights worked.  He changed the little trailers tyres.  The caravan said to the little trailer, “I think you must be going out on the road!”

The little trailer was delighted to be going outside again, but he was also worried about the roads after everything the caravan had said.   “You’re ever so big and bright,” he said to the caravan, “and sometimes people don’t see you.  I’m only a little trailer, and I’m not very bright either.  What if another driver doesn’t see me?  Mr Towers doesn’t any of those clever signs you talked about.” 

One evening the barn door was opened up wide.  The man with the white beard came in, he was wearing a red suit which had white fur edging.   He patted the little trailer and said “now, we’re going to have some fun!”

The man with the white beard backed his car into the barn and hitched up the little trailer.  The little trailer was excited and worried.  He’d never been anywhere before except up and down the lane with Mr Towers. 

The man with the white beard got something out of a tube and the littler trailer was glad to see that he had some of the clever “TOWING” signs that the caravan had talked about.  He put them on the car doors, and they lit up as the light from the barn reflected on them – they were ever so bright.  The little trailer was very happy that the man with the white beard must be a careful driver.  The man with the White Beard came back and patted the little trailer again.  “Thank you my little friend,” he said and then he got into the car.

The man with the white beard drove out of the barn, down the pathway and down the little lane.   They got to the end of the lane and there was a bigger road that they had to turn into.  The little trailer was worried that he might not be seen, but as they turned into the road he could see the TOWING sign shining in the street lights and every time another car went past the signs shone, and that made him feel safe. 

The man with the white beard drove to another big barn.  The big barn was covered in bright coloured lights, and there was jingly jangly music coming out of it.    The man with the white beard, reversed the car and the little trailer up to the barn doors and then stopped and got out.  Some little people with beards, wearing brightly coloured outfits jumped out of the barn and skipped around the man the beard.   They were excited, giggly and very very bouncy little people.  They opened the barn doors and the barn was full of parcels wrapped in bright paper and tied with pretty ribbons.  The parcels went from the floor to the ceiling.  The little trailer had never seen so much of anything ever before, even when Mr Towers had had a bumper harvest.  The little trailer also wondered whether he was going to have to carry it all?  He was, after all, a very little trailer.

The next few weeks were a bit of a blur!  Every evening the little people got some shovels and shovelled parcels from out of the barn into the little trailer.  The barn was always just as full as it ever had been.  The little trailer worried that he would never be able to carry all those parcels, but every day it was as if the parcels weighed nothing at all.

Then the man with the white beard drove his car and the little trailer into a town.  The little trailer always worried about going on the roads, but as soon as the man with the white beard got out the special signs he felt safe again!  The other thing was that sometimes it was as if some of the cars couldn’t see the man with the white beard’s car, but they always saw the “TOWING” signs, and so they always made room for the little trailer.  The man with the White Beard said “It’s just as well I’m a careful driver and I use Safe T-Signs, some of those idiots would never spot my little trailer otherwise, especially the ones that don’t believe in me.”

Then, when they got into town, the man with the white beard would always find a big pine tree and sit underneath it, and children and their mummies and daddies would come and the man with the white beard would give them a parcel from the little trailer.  The parcels always held exactly what it was that the children wanted, and the children were always delighted!  And no matter how many children came along there were always enough parcels for them all!  And the man with the white beard always said to the children “now you must be good it’ll soon be Christmas, and you won’t see me, but you’ll have a lovely Christmas”, and he would laugh his deep melodic laugh and then it would be the turn on the next child.

Weeks went by and every evening they went to a different place and the same thing happened.  Then one night the man with the white beard said to the little trailer, “thank you little friend, you have been wonderful and I’m glad that I had some Safe T-Signs to take care of you and all those parcels – some of the drivers on the roads, even when they do believe in me, don’t look at what’s on the road.  Until next year, little friend!”

The man with the beard towed the little trailer back to the barn, and when he got there Mr Towers had the barn doors open, and the man with the white beard backed the little trailer into his place in the barn.

“He’s been a good little trailer,” said the man with the white beard, and he patted the little trailer again.

The barn doors were open wide and the little trailer saw an amazing sight.  Some reindeer, with a very ornate special trailer came down from the sky, all jingly with bells and glittery in the light of the barn.  The man with the white beard climbed into the special trailer, laughed his deep belly laugh, and flew off into the sky.

 
The caravan spoke first.  “That,” he said, was a very special and good man.  “I knew as soon as I saw he had special towing signs”.
 

© Safe Towing December 2013

Road Safety Week 2013

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

The annual Road Safety Week is coordinated by the charity Brake. It involves thousands of people around the UK taking action for safer roads, including organisations, local authorities, emergency services, schools, colleges and community groups.

Sadly, the effect on the family and friends of those involved in a road traffic accident is like ripples on a pond. Tens if not hundreds of people can be touched by the consequences of a road fatality and in today’s society no one is immune. So, like you, we care about our safety and the safety of other road users when towing and we do all we can to make sure other road users can see that you’re towing, even in situations where they don’t see your trailer.

Road Safety Week serves to highlight the dangers we face every day as road users and that road safety is our responsibility for the other 51 weeks of the year.

If you would like to know more about the work carried out by Brake, click on the logo below and visit their web site where you can find out more about the work they do and remaining safe on your roads.

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

Towing Safely - the proof of the pudding!

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

It's always really helpful when other people tell it for you!

For this week's blog I'm cheating by linking you to John Ketch's InsureCamp site so you can read about John Ketch's experience of trying out Safe T-Sign for the first time.  John was putting his van into storage at this time last year.

John's page, Towing Safely, tells you just how easy Safe T-Signs are to use and about the demonstrable impact they have on other road users!  Enjoy John's article and the other interesting information on his site.

Safe T-Signs are helpful, whatever you tow, particularly in dim autumn and winter evenings.  John's more recent photo's show how they really stand out in the dark.

 ... and it doesn't matter how well you think you drive, other drivers don't always see the blindingly obvious or appreciate that when you're towing you may take longer to accelerate/ slow than a non-towing vehicle .

Take a look at our website where you can buy Safe T-Signs and find out more about the thinking behind this simple but effective road safety product.

Happy towing!


Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

… AS THE NIGHTS DRAW IN – SAFE T-SIGNS, BE SEEN AND BE SAFE

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

Putting the clocks back – the debate

As the old Black Country joke goes, “you can tell winters coming – it’s getting later earlier …”

The clocks go back on Sunday.  “Putting the clocks back” seems to be increasingly controversial.  This week MPs complained of the annual ritual which leads to “plunging the UK into darkness by mid-afternoon”.  RoSPA argue that “an extra hour of evening daylight could help to save lives and reduce injuries ….” 

A recent survey found that the vast majority in England do not want the clocks to go back in October -  road safety was one of the main reasons.  The company carrying out the survey said "Every year we see a steep increase in the number of accidents after the clocks go back due to reduced visibility at afternoon rush-hour.  Motorists are more likely to be tired after a day's work and concentration levels are lower, also children tend to go straight to school in the mornings but spend longer on their way back home in the afternoon, thus increasing their exposure to road dangers."[i]

On a different tack, University of Cambridge Research in 2010 said abandoning moving clocks back in the autumn "could have a range of energy benefits for Scotland, Wales and England."  The researchers estimated that there could be energy savings “approximately equivalent to that consumed by 210,000 households or 74 per cent of the domestic electricity consumption of Glasgow in 2008.”

Twilight towing

All year round lots of trailer owners choose to drive at night to avoid traffic congestion.  In the autumn and winter many trailers are twoed in dim light, day and evening.  Caravans and boats are put into winter storage; People clearing up gardens and outhouses and their trailers go to and fro from the local tip. 

Then there are hardened towers who don’t let the season or thedark stop them - all-year round caravanners, brave sailors and people whose hobbies or jobs that mean that their trailer stays hitched!

Safe-Twilight-Towing

Regardless of how light it is, towing a trailer is very different from driving solo.  Towing outfits are longer, slower, take longer to accelerate and brake, and handle very differently from a solo vehicle and the hazards that you face are very different.   Add this the fact that it is more difficult to see in reduced light.  As the light ddims drivers’ ability to see the road ahead declines – contrast fades, colours fade and edges become indistinct. 

At night drivers’ eyes need all the help you can give them. Even in the best conditions drivers’ ability to assess the speed and position of oncoming vehicles is reduced at night, so you need to allow an extra safety margin.

We took this picture a few years ago.  We think the Safe T-Sign on the side of the care really stands out.

What about the boat behind it?  Did you even notice it? Most people don’t, or at least, not until it’s pointed out to them.  The Safe T-Sign alerts you to the fact that there’s more to this car than immediately meets the eye.

When it’s dark and it’s more difficult to see in general, trailers often aren’t visible, especially from the side.  Even with larger trailers, their colour and/ or speed means that they often aren’t conspicuous to other road users in the dark and in poor visibility.

Safe T-Signs are highly reflective and show up in the headlights of other vehicles.  Research has shown the use of reflective images can reduce the incidence of night time collision by up to 40%.  Safe T-Signs really stand out in the dark and let other drivers know that you are towing and to expect a trailer to follow your vehicle.

Towing in the dark – what our customer say?

The testimonials speak for themselves.

I’ve found Safe T-Sign very handy when towing, especially at night and in bad visibility. They give other motorists warning that you are a longer vehicle. They are very easy to apply and store." AL, Colchester

"I have used the signs every time I have towed, Christmas with my caravan and at least half a dozen rowing events. Most certainly during the winter, when towing in the dark, I felt they were definitely an advantage as when leaving the rowing club I have to enter a fairly busy main road from a narrow side street with high buildings obscuring the trailer from any oncoming traffic."  PJ, Chester

Last year I sat next to a lady at a dinner. Quite spontaneously she said that the weekend before, driving back from her daughters on the motorway, in the dark. She was overtaken by a car.  She also  wanted to overtake as soon as it was safe. She watched the car go past, was about to pull out when she realised that the car had a long, unloaded trailer behind it.  There had been no warning, no way that she would have known, if something hadn’t caught her eye then there could have been a bit of a bump.  A Safe T-Signs would have alerted her.

Whether you tow throughout the dark months, or mothball your trailers until Spring, Safe T-Signs will help other people see that you’re towing. You can buy your Safe T-Signs and start using them now or save them for the Spring!

When you’re towing, stay safe with Safe T-Signs.

See our new website ... Here

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

---

[i] Smart Witness

A busy October for Caravanners

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

October is a busy month in the caravan owner’s calendar. The highlight must be a visit to the 2013 Motorhome & Caravan show at the NEC in Birmingham. This year’s event is a five-day affair from the 15^th to the 20^th October. There will be more exhibitors than you can wave a stick at, caravans and motorhomes to set your heart aflutter and a plethora of accessories to fill your Christmas stockings. While you won’t see our Safe T-Sign magnetic towing signs (perhaps next year!) you can always visit our website and take all the time you need to have a good look at them – no crowds to contend with. For little more than the price of two tickets you could order a set of Safe T-Signs and avoid the disappointment of being at the back of the queue and missing out.

The clocks go back an hour on 27th October - dark mornings, dark evenings and a reduced number of hours with daylight. The potential for accidents involving vehicles towing caravans or trailers increases. Other road users don’t always see your van or trailer, hard to believe I know but it happens. With a set of reflective Safe T-Signs you will give other road users a clear message that you are towing. Not an expensive safety measure at £22.45 including postage & packing.

Although some of you hardy types will be caravanning throughout the winter months, others will be mothballing their vans until the Spring. You can buy your Safe T-Signs and be ready for the new season or start using them now on those Winter breaks.

If you are in Birmingham for the exhibition, have a fantastic time, enjoy your visit and have a safe journey. And when you are towing, stay safe with Safe T-Signs.

See our new website ...

http://www.safetowing.co.uk/index.htm

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

“ ... If I can do to make myself more visible and safe when I'm towing, I will ..."

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

Those who follow this blog might know that I have scoured the internet for anything relevant to safe towing.

A couple of years ago I came across a an excellent discussion about Safe T-Signs on an internet discussion board. I thought it was worth sharing. 

I’ve anonymised the discussion, but I would like to emphasise that it is a real discussion - I've done minor editing just to help with sense, but it's pretty much as it was.


Also, the first smarty pants to identify where I chose the names from can have a free pair of safe T-Signs!

Are Towing signs displayed on vehicles a good safety feature?

Julian: I noticed one of our members displaying towing signs on both sides of his Mondeo, I assume they were the magnetic type that can be easily attached/removed. Can they be bought or do they have to be made up?

If other members liked the idea perhaps we could set an example of safety awareness to other towers by displaying them and incorporate our logo? At the least we would be helping improve road safety by alerting other road users we are towing, particularly when we’re pulling out of road junctions?

Your comments please as I’m seriously thinking of applying the idea to my vehicle.

Dick:  What a good idea Julian - I think it was Anne that had them fitted to the car door when she brought her new van home.....

Anne:  *cough cough* Ahem!

They’re Safe T-Signs. They’re magnetic and are both very secure and easily removed. The whole back of the sign is magnetic, not just a few magnets round the edges. They’re a brilliant piece of kit and I wouldn't be without them now. The number of times I’ve been out on the road and other drivers, for some inexplicable reason, just don’t see the extra 18ft (in my case) that you're pulling behind your car astonishes me.  And then they get miffed at me because I can't pull into the gap they've left for me or because I'm slower onto a roundabout, etc. They’re ideal for blind junctions or exiting from car parks, driveways, etc where other drivers can see your car but not your caravan. It just gives them advance warning.

George:  I’d say no I don't want those Magnetic signs on my car doors at any cost ... Why?  Because my next door neighbour was a taxi driver (private hire).  He had magnetic signs on his doors. I’ve never seen such a mess in my life with scratches and other marks...  so, no thank you.

Anne:  Geoorge, you need to make sure your car door and the signs are clean -  if you get dirt trapped between them then obviously it’ll scratch your paintwork.

Timmy:  I have a set of self made magnetic signs/number boards on the doors of my Mini.  I also used them on a road going Astra (for sprints and climbs).  I’ve never had a problem with paint damage, and it was red which is a soft paint colour. Trust me,  so long as you look after them and keep them clean they stick like glue  - even at race speeds (I got clocked at aintree sprint doing 136 down the straight and they were still on the doors).

Like Anne said, if the signs and/or the doors are dirty,  that's when they start to scratch as they can then move slightly in use.

George:  Anne, I'm sure some of you can be lucky and get no scratches on the paintwork from magnetic signs, but I'm taking no risks...  I'm sure people with good eyes can see that you're towing a caravan with it being so close behind a car and anyone with a bit of sense should know that a caravan cannot move under it's own power. LoL

P.S  Your Mondeo looks rather "Cute" with the Towing Signs on ;-)

Jo:  Yep it's up to the individual if you want to use them.  I think they’re a fab idea.

Tinker:   I’ve always liked the idea of Safe T-Signs since I first saw them in Practical Caravan [back in 2007/08!] ... they would be good to keep in the car for if you ever have to tow a car as well, as you could stick one to the back of the car being towed.  Being magnetic wouldn't bother me as I always wash the car before we go away and usually the caravan.... no matter the weather : They look very good anyway and are a great idea...  

Quentin:   Forgive my ignorance here, but I’m a little bemused as to just what these signs are for?  Surely anyone can see that damned big caravan on the back without having a sign on the side of the car to tell them that it’s towing one?  Am I missing something here (I usually do)? 

Personally, I’d never stick anything magnetic onto the car as I remember the days of the magnetic mounted CB aerials and the damage done to car roofs by the metal particles that they invariably picked up.

Enid:  There are plenty of roads in Cornwall and near where I live that 'hide' the fact you’re towing a caravan. Sometimes just the front of the car can be seen and people will slow a little, thinking it’s just a car, but then they realise its actually towing a huge caravan too! A few seconds can make all the difference in a situation like this!  I’d rather have these signs making scratches on the side of my car (if they do) than another car sitting on my lap! So well done Anne. I didn't even know they exist - but I’ll be getting some!

Tinker:   Yep,  that’s what they’re for - for junctions etc where the rear of your outfit may be hidden.  It’s to make drivers more aware its more than just a car pulling out if you understand what I’m saying...

Anne:  Quentin, please read the end of my first reply again. Some drivers just do not see the van behind you, even when visibility is clear.

I'll give you an example, I towed the old van up the road to inflate the tyres at the local garage.  It's less than 2 miles and all dual carriageway, so I didn't bother putting the signs on. On exiting the garage, I was waiting for a gap big enough to pull the rig into. White van man slows down and flashes me out. I shake my head to indicate I can't pull out into the gap he's made because it's not big enough and there’s traffic following him. White van man looks confused, slows down even further, flashes me again, with the traffic behind him hitting the brakes, etc.  It wasn't until I physically pointed behind me at the big white thing on the back of the car that he realised I had a caravan.  It's a completely open junction with visibility for literally miles up and down the road, both for drivers on the dual carriageway to be able to see if cars are exiting from the garage,  and for drivers leaving the garage to see oncoming traffic.

Now imagine the same Mr White Van Man approaching a roundabout? If for example, I had just pulled out onto the roundabout and I didn’t see him approaching because say it's a bend on approach.  He thinks he can go straight on to the roundabout once my car is on the roundabout.  He doesn't see my van, so he doesn't adjust his speed accordingly.  Where is he going to go? He's going to have to slam on his brakes at the last minute.  Maybe he'll stop in time, maybe he won't.  If he doesn't then he’ll end up straight through my caravan.  If I have Safe T-Signs on, then at least it will make him sit up and take notice and he'll drop his speed sooner.  Obviously if I spot a vehicle approaching a roundabout at a silly speed, I'm not going to put myself in it's path but sometimes it's impossible to compensate for other driver's poor skills. Anything I can do to make myself more visible and safer on the roads, especially when towing, I'll do it.

Jo:   Good point and well made  - :clap

George:  Anne, I see what you say ... but up to a point. The bottom line is you have to remember you are towing the caravan or whatever, and it’s up to you to decide when it’s safe to pull out of anywhere.  It’s not for someone else to tell you when it’s safe.   I never accept the invitation to pull out of a junction for anyone when towing the caravan as I have the patience to wait for a safe gap.

About 14 years ago we were heading to Stratford-on-Avon for the weekend.  I joined the M6 Motorway at junction 15 and I was travelling at 50mph on the nearside lane towing the caravan.  Halfway to junction 14 there was a White Luton van approaching in the middle lane.  Before I had the chance to look in the mirror again, my car and caravan were both written off.  The driver of a Ford Scorpio fell asleep at the wheel in the fast lane and whacked the Luton van in the middle lane and knocked him into my outfit. In all my 38 years of towing caravans that is the only incident I have ever encountered while towing.  To be honest I don't see how a "Towing" sign on my car could have helped me there.

Anne:  Same here, I didn't accept the invitation to pull out, but it didn't stop the van driver inconveniencing other motorists behind him until I pointed out the blantantly obvious to him.

I don't know about you, but I spend a helluva a lot of time behind the wheel compensating for other driver's poor driving,  especially now I'm doing my IAM training.  Anything that might help me with that is worth it in my book.  Granted the signs may not prevent all accidents, or indeed any, but in theory they might and that's good enough for me.

Aside from that, as a driver I always like to have as much info about the vehicles around me as possible.  If I can give other motorists more information about my rig, and sooner, then so much the better.

Being realistic, if you're at a busy roundabout for example - where are you looking?  Usually at the car, the driver and the indicators.  Personally, I also look at the wheels to make sure the vehicle is going in the direction it says it is. If you can put also give other drivers the information that you're towing on the car, then I think that'd give advance warning rather than only seeing the van once you've pulled out past an HGV for example.

Endpiece

Personally, I think better to be safe than sorry – what do you think? 

Safe Towing is about safe driving practices, as well as making sure that drivers are alert to the need to drive with consideration towards all other road users.  Prepare to tow safely - Safe T-Sign should be part of your routine before you set off to tow, to help you and other road users to be safe.

Safety First!   Buy Safe-T Signs here at a preferential price before our new stock arrives!

Safe Towing - Promoting Safe Towing for all road users and the use of Safe T-Signs

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http://www.safetowing.co.uk/index.htm 


Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

Being Safe - Cycling and Towing and Being Seen

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm

I wrote a blog last year called "Mind the Antelope" highlighting the fact that our eyes aren't designed for driving and that we miss obvious things.  It was based on an London Cyclist Blog.

There are obvious dangers for towers - if other drivers don’t expect there to be a trailer, even a great big one, their brain is more likely to automatically jump to the conclusion that the vehicle they see is the car, and that's all there is to see.




One comment from a tower about people not seeing the obvious includes:

" ....on a large island I was negotiating with my discovery and twin axle tourer when some idiot had not realised I was towing a nearly 8m long caravan and tried to slot in behind my car and then realised his mistake to which I had had to take exceptional driving manoeuvres to avoid a collision!"

Most of us will remember our own "near misses", when we should have spotted something on the road but didn't.  With 1500 towing accidents involving personal injury every year - more than four personal injury accidents every day - this is important. 

We also know that tow combinations are slightly more slikely to be involved in severe accidents.

I follow the London Cyclist Blog - it's a really insightful blog and has a real and obvious interest in road safety, safe driving and cycling behaviours and other stuff.  Recent comments on their blog "What an RAF pilot can teach us on being safe on the road" also emphasis how drivers don't see things which are right in front of them. 


Equally, we need to recognise that towing is risky - if another driver can't see the trailer because of other vehicles, or because it's out of their line of sight, then they'll behave like it's not there, possibly with disastrous consequences

Using a Safe T-Sign on the side of your car means that if other drivers can see your car then they can be alerted to the fact that there's something else to follow your vehicle.  They are reflective, so they will catch the light and the eye of other drivers.  As Safe T-Signs become a more familiar sight on the road, other road users will instantly recognise what they mean and they will register that there is something else to look out for.


See our website:

http://www.safetowing.co.uk/index.htm

Whatever kind of trailer you’re towing, Safe T Signs mean Safe Towing! Be seen and be safe when you emerge from junctions or roundabouts, and when you are towing in the dark.

Buy Safe T Signs from our website here:  http://www.safetowing.co.uk/buy-now.htm