Caravanners braving the cold for a trip away this winter are being urged to take extra care when towing, with news that councils are cutting their budgets for winter road services despite the woeful inadequacy of services last winter.
Road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) made the warning that roads will become more hazardous for drivers this winter with cuts affecting services.
Last year saw a 37 per cent increase in the number of cars overturning because of snow and ice.
Yet estimates from the Department for Communities and Local Government reveal a 3.6 per cent fall in the budgets for gritting roads, snowploughing and standby provisions.
Figures show that 67 councils will reduce their winter road services spending, 33 of which have cut 10 per cent on last year.
Twenty-one councils have budgets 30 per cent less than last year.
IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Councils must make contingency plans … This has to include dealing with large numbers of drivers stranded for hours with no access to heat or food.”
Ted Young, site inspector for the Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association commented that it was important to keep caravans insured.
“Choose a specialist insurer because they have got experience in the market,” he advised
