Autumn travel advice
With storms often forecast, it’s time to give some general advice for staying safe whilst travelling:
1. Always plan your journey in advance
Check the weather forecast; use route planning websites; identify alternative routes, stopovers and particularly high risk locations like major river crossings or high passes
2. Monitor changing weather and traffic conditions while travelling
Use sat-nav capabilities, radio reports or mobile apps, but STAY SAFE, and avoid unnecessary distraction while driving. If need be, stop to check details, or use an audio app like that from Highways England for motorways and major A roads in England
3. Be prepared to switch your route or your travel time to minimise risks
It’s always better to arrive later but safer
4. Keep your speed down if conditions deteriorate
Stopping distances will be reduced, and vulnerability to crosswinds improved
5. Make sure your vehicle is set up properly to minimise vulnerability
Avoid overloading, and keep weight distribution favourable to minimise the risk of instability for both caravans and motorhomes. Make sure tyre pressures are correct, and tyres in good condition
Weather/traffic information:
UK weather http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings
Met Office weather alerts: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings
Met Office app for iOS or Android
Comments
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Some more links:
England traffic
Highways England app for iOS or Android (gives audio reports for safe use when driving)
http://m.highways.gov.uk (Highways England mobile site)
Twitter:@HighwaysEngland
Regional feeds
Scotland traffic
Twitter: @trafficscotland
Wales traffic
Twitter: @trafficwales
Northern Ireland traffic
http://trafficwatchni.com/home
Twitter: @TrafficwatchNI
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Hi Nige, we were due to tow our caravan from Cambridgeshire to Cirencester 2 days before last Christmas. As there were warnings being given out for southerly storm force winds on our travel day which would have been cross winds on the M4 we reluctantly decided to cancel two days before travelling. We booked a hotel in the same area instead and there were indeed severe winds as forcast! I then got a tart email from head office because I had cancelled later than 72 hours before travel! You can't win! At least we still have a caravan the right way up!!
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Head office should leave the decision to the customer their could be any number of reasons for canceling. My wife is carer to her elderly parents that live in an annexe next to us, we have had to cancel twice this year with only 48 hr notice due to ill health of one of them. What would the club want us to do leave them to social services, l don't think so. l think you had a very good reason to cancel, their is a tick box that you fill in on the booking page that should surfice
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Hello ABIPete & Heethers.
We appreciate that giving advance notice of a cancellation may at times be difficult due to adverse weather conditions.
As a Club we have to be fair to all members when enforcing the policy. The communication you have received goes out to any member who has made a late cancellation; unfortunately it does have to be firm for it to have an effect. Since introducing the policy in March 2012 we have seen a dramatic decrease in late cancellations and no shows which are helping to maximise pitch availability.
If there were three instances of late cancellations within the calendar year, we would review the circumstances around each cancellation using any notes held on the system and would contact you if further information was required. Situations such as this would always be considered on a case by case basis and no action would be taken to suspend a membership or cancel forward bookings without first reviewing the late cancellation history and the members individual circumstances. We will not be penalising members for genuine cancellation reasons. By no means do we want members to put themselves at risk by travelling when it is not safe to do so.
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I can't see you in the introduction thread, Nige. You've sprung out of nowhere.
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There do seem to be different ways of doing things. I had to delay my recent trip to Ferry Meadows by a day as I had to get an emergency hospital appointment for an eye problem on the day I was due to travel. By phoning the site they amended my booking, apparently this does not trigger an email. If I had changed it online myself it would have or so I was told by one of the Wardens.
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Hi Tinwheeler
Rowena did introduce us to Club Together. If you click HERE it will direct you to the thread. Unfortunately my profile picture doesn't seem to work but they are trying to sort it out. Just for your information, here is my profile picture.
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