Leisureshopdirect Caravan Blog

Caravan & motorhome blog

Overloaded vehicles could cause accidents

Posted by Greg Throughton


Motorists and people with Cramer caravan cookers & hobs have been urged not to overload their cars and caravans this Easter.


The warning comes from breakdown service Britannia Rescue as it revealed that 180,000 cars have broken down as a result of overloading, with a staggering eight million motorists admitting to packing too much into their vehicle.


Being unable to see the rearview mirror, having difficulty stopping and breaking down are risks inherent to overloading a vehicle.


However, regularly cramming a car to full capacity can also strain the springs, wheel bearings, tyres and suspension systems, reduce brake effectiveness, limit steering and case the vehicle to overheat.


"To minimise the risk of breakdown and accidents, our advice is to take a little extra time before the journey starts to be sure your load is safe, secure, not blocking your view and within your car's maximum permitted weight," Peter Horton, managing director told motorists and caravan owners.


Caravan owners have also been recently issued with new tyre pressure and axle load guidelines following a review by Tyresafe and the caravan industry.