A new alliance has been announced to bring together leading organisations across the fleet, automotive and road safety spectrum in a bid to improve towing safety standards in the UK.
The group will have the goal of reducing incidents relating to towing and improving road safety standards for fleets, private drivers and other road users.
While towing only makes up a portion of fleet driving, the statistics from National Highways and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) show that there are reasons for concern.
Towing safety is clearly something high on the agenda for the government and it could lead to further changes as time goes on.
What Road Safety Changes Could Mean For Fleets
The first initiative for the new towing safety allowance is focusing on ‘TLC’ (Tyres, Load and Connectivity). It’s designed to ensure that all drivers, whether fleet or private drivers, have the knowledge to ensure that any trailers, caravans, horseboxes and other towed vehicles are secured safety and suitable for the road.
Road safety is a key priority for the government and they’re working with road safety organisations, National Highways, the police and other bodies to address specific issues.
While towing safety forms just one small part of that, it’s a sign of things to come as the government looks to set up further alliances and initiatives to target issues such as distracted driving, drink and drug driving, and poor driving habits such as tailgating.
The idea is to promote best practice in a bid to educate drivers, which as anyone who spends a significant amount of time on the road will know is a worthwhile exercise.
You can read the full story on the new towing safety alliance and what it means for road safety here
With recent data showing an increase in towing-related incidents on the road in recent years, particularly as more businesses and individuals use trailers and caravans, it’s clear there’s a need for something to be done.
Part of the issue is that in 2021, the B+E driving licence requirement to be able to tow was removed, meaning that more drivers were allowed to tow without any formal training.
The concern is that it may have led to unsafe towing practices, often unwittingly, putting themselves and other road users at risk.
Road Safety In The Future
The challenges facing drivers and road safety experts in the coming years are clear.
With autonomous vehicles on the horizon (potentially from 2027 onwards on UK roads) and the switch being made from petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles to a world of electric and alternative fuels, there has rarely been such significant change in such little time.
Given the length of time that it usually takes for law changes to be debated, amended, and put into action, there is a desire from many road safety campaigners to get ahead of the game and begin the process of implementing new laws for autonomous vehicles and other key changes.
Towing might be the first step in the government’s road safety strategy, but it’s clear that there’s much more to be done – what do you think is the most important road safety changes the government should be making? Let us know…
