One in four UK cars are illegal according to new study

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by Ellie Pritchard

A new WheelRight study has shown that our tyres need a bit more TLC

According to new research backed by Highways England, UK tyres are in dire need of a bit more attention, with many deemed potentially dangerous.

Earlier this month, CaravanTimes reported that a TyreSafe study revealed up to ten million cars were currently on the UK’s road with illegal tyres. And now, following research from tyre pressure monitoring experts WheelRight, it has been revealed that one in four UK cars have at least one dangerously under-inflated tyre.

On top of these worrying statistics, the average heavy goods vehicle on Britain’s motorways is driving with at least one dangerously underinflated tyre at any time, according to WheelRight’s study.

The study of the nation’s tyres took place at Keele Services on the southbound M6 during March to June this year. The scheme is being run by WheelRight in association with Highways England and Welcome Break.

WheelRight’s chief executive, John Catling, said: “We’ve been offering a free pressure check to motorists and HGV drivers using our drive-over tyre pressure system at Keele Services on one of Britain’s busiest stretches of road – the M6.

“We have taken thousands of tyre pressure readings and have collated some pretty shocking statistics which reveal the true extent of our tyre neglect. Every year, the UK sees approximately 25 deaths and nearly 1,500 serious accidents attributed to poorly inflated or defective tyres. We believe that lack of awareness on the impact tyre pressure can have on road safety is putting drivers at risk,” he continued.

It seems that motorists have limited awareness of the impact that incorrect tyre pressures can have on road safety. Although the topic could be covered informally as part of the driving test, there is next to no education provided on the importance of having the correct tyre pressures given to learner drivers.

Catling added: “The lowest tyre pressure reading we’ve taken for a motorist on our system was a very low, and very dangerous, score of just six pounds per square inch (PSI), when it should have been closer to 30 psi to be safe. An accident waiting to happen!”

However, Catling thinks there is a simple solution: “We’ve seen first-hand that motorists are keen to learn more about what action they can take to keep their vehicles and themselves safe. If a motorist using our system receives identifies a low pressure reading, our on-site support team at Keele Services will direct drivers to the air machines located a few metres away and provide advice on how to inflate tyres correctly and to what level.

“We believe that regular tyre pressure checks offer significant cost and safety benefits to all drivers – not to mention, peace of mind.”

You can find out more about the WheelRight pilot at Keele here.

Caravan dealership invests £60,000 in solar panels

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by Jessica Almeida

Solar panel investment hopes to reduce company’s carbon footprint

Award winning Shropshire caravan and motorhome dealership, Salop Leisure, plans to reduce its carbon footprint by utilising the power of the sun to generate electricity.

The company plans to install a 50 kilowatt Solar PV system on the roof of its headquarters in Emstrey, Shrewsbury, which will hopefully supply a quarter of the electricity used by the business.

The Solar PV system will be installed by Surespark Energy Rugeley and, for the next 20 years, looks set to benefit from generous government backed feed-in-tariffs. In Shrewsbury, the company installed a similar but larger system for Morris Lubricants.

Salop Leisure’s Mark Fras, said the £60,000 system would hopefully pay for itself within six years and reduce the company’s carbon footprint. To further reduce energy consumption, the company is also considering investing in £20,000 on LED lights at its headquarters.

Fras stated: “We were so impressed by the positive reports received about the Solar PV system installed for Morris Lubricants that we decided to invest in our own system.” He explains that the system will generate an estimated 25 per cent of the company’s energy and will make a significant contribution to decreasing the company’s carbon footprint, which is great news for the company.

Vote in The Caravan Club CL of the Year Awards and you could be a winner

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by Jessica Almeida

The Caravan Club wants your help to pick the CL of the Year 2015

With so many Certificated Locations (CL) across the UK, there is bound to be a site that you favour over the rest – whatever your interests are there has to be a site that appeals to you. And now, The Caravan Club is offering you the opportunity to share your views by voting for your favourite CL of the Year in the Club’s 2015 awards.

The awards are designed to recognise the best of the best CL sites and the owners who work hard to provide the best for their members. Those who have experienced what it is like to stay on CLs know that no matter what time of holiday you are looking for they have so much to offer. By enjoying a stay at a CL you are also bringing income to the area by contributing to the local economy.

To vote for your favourite CL, complete the online voting form by clicking here.

Alternately, you can also complete the form in The Caravan Club’s April Magazine and returning it to The Caravan Club by 21 September.

Not only will you be voting for your favourite CL, but everyone who nominates their favourite CL will be entered into a prize draw to win a five-night stay at CL of their choice as well as an invitation to the famed awards ceremony at the House of Commons in November.

Why not help pick a winner and have the chance to be a winner yourself. Vote now!

Paramedics treating patient at caravan site fall victim to vandals

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by Jessica Almeida

EMAS asks anyone with information to contact Leicestershire Police

Vandals left a paramedic’s vehicle covered in red paint and faeces after emergency services responded to an emergency on a caravan site in Bagworth, Leicestershire earlier this week.

Paramedic and team leader at Leicestershire’s East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), Time Hargraves, condemned the attack, branding it as “disgusting.”

Hargreaves said: “It was a deliberate attack, this wasn’t an accident.

“When he came out the car was covered in red paint and faeces including all over the door handles. The paramedic had to use gloves to get into the car and he drove it to one of our workshops.”

The vehicle is now in the body shop until the full extent of the damage is assessed and repairs are completed.

EMAS declared that the cost of having a car off the road and having to find a replacement is around £200 a day. However, this does not include the cost of the damage and repair to the car.

Of the incident, Hargraves went on: “The saving grace, if there is one, is that there was no attack or violence to the paramedic.

“We would ask anyone who knows anything about this to contact Leicestershire Police.”

Police have stated that they are aware of the reports by EMAS and are carrying out inquiries.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Leicestershire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 5550111.

Pupils as young as 11 could be given driving lessons at school

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by Ellie Pritchard

IAM back a petition for students to be taught road safety at school

In a bid to curb the rising number of accidents on UK roads, major motoring organisations and experts have drawn up a petition urging the Government to put driving on the school curriculum.

The petition has been created to help cut the high number of accidents involving newly qualified drivers on the UK’s roads. Launched by Young Driver, the UK’s largest provider of pre-17 driving lessons, the petition is already supported by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the RAC, the Driving Instructors Association (DIA), the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain (MSA), Admiral, Goodyear, as well as motoring presenter and expert Quentin Willson.

The petition comes as it has been revealed that one in five new drivers have an accident within six months of passing their test, with road accidents being responsible for 25 per cent of the deaths of 15 to 19 year olds in the UK, in comparison to just 0.5 per cent of adult fatalities. In fact, 400 people are killed in accidents involving young drivers every year.

The petition doesn’t propose that the driving age should be lowered, but it suggests youngsters should be taught about driving at school, in both practical and classroom based lessons.

Kim Stanton from Young Driver explained: “Driving a vehicle is potentially one of the most dangerous and responsible things a person can do. Learning to drive should be done over a long period of time, and from a young age, when pupils are more receptive to safety messages.

“Evidence-based research shows that road safety messages are better absorbed by children in their early teens rather than at driving age. By having this take place at school it can be made inclusive for all. We urge people to sign this petition so we can get this issue in front of the people with the power to change things” Stanton continued.

Independent research taken on behalf of Young Driver has revealed that pupils who take part in the scheme, which teaches students from as young as 11, are half as likely to have an accident when they do pass their test. This supports the studies in Europe that have shown that crashes involving new drivers who have trained at school has reduced by 40 per cent.

Mark Lewis, director of standards for the IAM, said: “The high number of accidents and the sad loss of life as a result of unprepared young drivers urgently needs to be tackled. Quite obviously the driving education that youngsters are currently receiving is inadequate. At the IAM we can help prepare people for more advanced driving situations once they have passed their test, but there needs to be more done at an earlier stage.

“Learning such an important skill shouldn’t potentially be done and dusted in a few short months. That’s why I strongly believe people should sign this petition and get the subject debated in the House of Commons.”

Quentin Willson added: “Both my son, age 16, and daughter, age 11, have started having driving lessons with Young Driver. I think it’s vital – it’s a road safety revolution in the making. If we could get this on the curriculum, so the opportunity was open to all, it would have huge ramifications in terms of the safety of our young people. And, as both a father and road user, that’s certainly something I want to back. 100,000 signatures could help save 400 precious lives every year.”

You can sign the petition here.

10,000 caravanners and campers evacuated in French wildfire saga

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by Megan Henderson

‘Complete bedlam’ ensues as caravanners flee treacherous blaze

Caravanners were left in a state of panic yesterday after being told to grab their passports and run, as 15 foot high flames from a forest wildfire looked set to engulf camping and caravan sites in France.

Up to 10,000 campers and caravanners were evacuated due to the wildfires, which eventually took 200 firefighters to extinguish. 50 fire engines and specialist water-dropping planes were also dispatched to tackle the blaze.

The wildfire burned through forests in the southern region of Var, with much of the region still at risk of fires due to drought, winds and high temperatures.

One caravanner present, Dan Rainford, described the experience as “complete bedlam” to the Mirror, as he and many other tourists quickly fled and searched for a safe escape.

Dan, who was on holiday with his wife, Louise, and two children, Callum and Sophie, as well as his mum Lynne, when they were told that their campsite could be engulfed in flames.

Dan said: Dan said to Mirror: “Suddenly we were being told to get out. They said ‘grab your cars, grab your passports if you’ve got them and just go – forget your clothes’.

“We were sent to the emergency exit – but it was complete bedlam. There were thousands of people trying to do the same thing.”

The Rainford family was among round 3,000 campers and caravanners that had to be evacuated from the Holiday Green site. Two other sites, Pin de la Lègue and la Pierre Verte, were also evacuated, bringing traffic to an abrupt stop.

“That was the scary part for me,” continued Dan. “Being stuck in the traffic while we could see the smoke approaching. It probably took half an hour to get out. I was thinking ‘come on – get moving’. People were very panicked.”

While stopped in the traffic Dan said his mother, Lynne, grabbed his two children, Callum, 15, and Sophie, 12, and exited the car because she was concerned about getting them to safety.

After making it out of the site the Rainfords went to the coast, and were eventually allowed back to their site by 8pm.

He said: “The reps told us how close the fire had come to us – five caravans had been burnt out just next to ours.

“You could see burn marks up the side of ours. It could have very easily been us. We were very lucky, all of our stuff was in there.” Dan continued.

Although the Rainfords were staying in the middle of the site, the fire was able to ‘jump’ over other caravan because of the strength of the wind.

It is estimated that around 30 hectares of land in the Frejus region have been let devastated due to the effects of the fire.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth office said: “We are liaising with the local authorities in Frejus and are in contact with British nationals caught up in the situation to provide support.”

Worst caravan crashes caught on camera

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by Ellie Pritchard

Video compilation of caravan crashes tarnishes the reputation of caravanners as road users

CaravanTimes reported last week that caravanners have been voted the worst users of UK roads, and this new video doesn’t help our reputation in the slightest.

A compilation of crashes, featuring the worst of the worst caravan users, including a caravan that rolled 360 degrees down a hill, as well as a caravan that gets completely torn apart on a busy road, has emerged on the internet this week after being filmed by spectators.

Sadly, these unlucky caravanners have had to kiss their pride and joy goodbye, as most of the accidents result in total write offs.

So is there any truth to the rumour that caravanners are the worst road users? We hope not, but we have to admit that we were left cringing after watching the alarming footage.

Check out the video below and let us know what you think.

Caravan stolen from disabled couple’s drive

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by Jessica Almeida

Couple spend £2,000 to make caravan accessible just to have it stolen

A disabled couple who purchased a caravan with their savings have seen callous thieves steal their pride and joy.

The Swift Conqueror 630 Lux, which was purchased just four weeks ago by Debby and Anthony Blackwell, was left in their drive behind secured gates in Worcester last Wednesday when thieves struck.

Upon arriving back from their weekly shop at approximately 4.30pm, the Blackwells found that their security gate had been smashed down and the caravan had been taken.

Wheelchair user, Anthony Blackwell, 55,who suffers from a chronic bone condition, and his wife, Debby, 47, who sometimes uses a wheelchair because she has a degenerative joint disease, spent over £2,000 ensuring that the caravan was accessible for both of them.

Debby stated: “We can’t explain it. My husband has really taken this badly. We had used the last of our savings and borrowed money from friends.

“There is no way on this earth we will be able to replace this,” she added.

If you are aware of any details or information regarding the theft call police on 101 and quote incident number 0478S 220715.

Motorhome causes huge traffic delays after bursting into flames

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by Ellie Pritchard

This worrying video footage of a motorhome combustion has been circling the internet

A motorhome was completely destroyed after it combusted on the M6 early on Sunday afternoon.

The fire, which was supposedly caused by a fault in the engine, quickly spread before the vehicle was left burnt to a crisp.

Bury firefighters came to the rescue and tackled the blaze, but unfortunately the motorhome could not be salvaged.

Thankfully, the owners of the vehicle were able to make a lucky escape and emerge unscathed as they managed to pull over before the motorhome succumbed to the flames.

The incident happened just past Junction 1 and caused huge delays for road users that afternoon.

If you think you can handle the heat, watch the video below.

Study reveals frequent long-distance motorists more likely ignore speed cameras

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by Ellie Pritchard

A survey from IAM Drive & Survive shows how the most frequent users of UK roads really feel about speed cameras

A study conducted by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM)’s Drive & Survive division has revealed that high-mileage drivers are more likely to think that speed cameras have ‘little or no influence’ in reducing casualties on UK roads than any other type of road users.

The study, entitled Speed Cameras – The Views of High Mileage Drivers, also revealed that 28 per cent of high-mileage drivers have a negative view of speed cameras – which equates to ten per cent more than lower-mileage drivers.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, over 50 per cent of high-mileage drivers questioned think that speed cameras are little more than ‘a money making tool’, which is more than any other category of road user.

With more than 6,000 speed cameras across the UK in operation, the report explained that the time was right to ask if there was any greater acceptance of them amongst the drivers who spend the most time on the roads. But this was not the case as 60 per cent of the high-mileage drivers surveyed think there are other, less known reasons why speed cameras had been installed, not just to monitor accident blackspots, in comparison to the 39 percent of medium mileage drivers and 47 percent of low-mileage drivers thinking the same.

It’s also high-mileage drivers that are the most split on whether the money generated from speed awareness courses should be used to fund the operation of speed cameras.

Topping the group again, over a quarter of drivers who spend more time on the roads believe that speed cameras haven’t played a part in reducing the number of road casualties. In fact, 27 per cent of UK’s most frequent road users think this, which is significantly higher than the 20 per cent of medium-mileage drivers and just 16 per cent of low-mileage drivers who also hold the same view.

When asked how acceptable is it for authorities to use speed cameras at the side of the road to identify those vehicles involved in speeding offences, 28 per cent of high mileage drivers thought it was unacceptable, in comparison to the 18 per cent of medium-mileage drivers and 17 per cent of low-mileage drivers.

The IAM Drive & Survive survey studied the views of 1,001 high, medium and low-mileage drivers. It came to light that just one in six low mileage drivers are sceptical about the positive influence of speed cameras, but a higher one in four high-mileage drivers are also skeptical.

IAM chief executive officer, Sarah Sillars, said: “It is clear that there is a very big task when it comes to making high-mileage drivers see the worth of measures to reduce overspeeding. While we know that speeding is not the only cause of accidents and injuries, it is one of the major ones.”

Caravanners scramble up trees as Bull rampages through caravan park

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Bull runs amok through caravan park, forcing some campers to scramble up trees for safety

Caravanners at an Australian caravan park were forced to seek safety yesterday after a bull aggressively rampaged through their site.

Some caravanners were forced to climb up trees after the long-horned bull decided to cause carnage at McArthur River Caravan Park in Borroloola, about 450 miles from Darwin.

Colin Coutts, the park’s manager, went to investigate after discovering something in the park was amiss. Having climbed into his utility vehicle, it was at this point he discovered the bull had decided enough caravanning was enough.

Upon noticing the bull had gone within close proximity of one of the hitched caravans to investigate what it was, Coutts hopped out of the ute in an attempt to make the bull retreat.

Coutts said: “I went to shoo him and he turned around and had a go at me and put me up on the back of the ute.”

Police were called to the scene and attempted to entice the bull to go back the way it had came, but he became aggressive once again and tried to attack the police car. The police sadly had to shoot the bull as a result of the aggressive behaviour displayed.

Duty Superintendent Brendan Muldoon commented that it was a local bull which was owned by a member of the community.

“It was a bit of a danger to people at the caravan park,” Superintendent Muldoon said. “I know there were 50 people at the park at this time, quite a few obviously saw it and called police to assist.”

Though a few campers had to climb trees to escape the bull, no one was hurt in the incident.

Houghton Hall hosts 2015 National Feast of Lanterns

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by Jessica Almeida

Celebrate the end of camping season at annual NFOL

Although it has been a while since the first National Feast of Lanterns (NFOL), the event has continued to be a great way to celebrate the nation’s favourite pastime. And this year is no different, with Houghton Hall’s national camping rally, taking place from 27 to 31 August, planning to continue the tradition.

The first NFOL celebrated the camping season coming to an end and members would hold old lanterns while sitting around their campfires to light their meets.

Lighting up is still an essential part of the tradition, however now members have started to decorate their units to make each one unique and different from the others.

NFOL also hold an annual Mardi Gras concept parade, additional to the Club pennon parade where Regions, Sections and DA’s join together to display their colour in the final area prior to the closing ceremony.

Throughout the week there is a whole host of free entertainment for all to enjoy – from live music to dog shows – guaranteed to provide something for everyone.

NFOL bookings are now being taken. For more information visit the NFOL 2015 website here.