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TLC – Tyres, Load, Connectivity: A National Campaign for Safer Towing
Whether towing a trailer for work, leisure, farming, or sport, safety starts before the wheels turn. That’s the message behind TLC – Tyres, Load, Connectivity, a new national campaign launched by the UK Towing Safety Alliance to reduce preventable incidents and breakdowns involving towed vehicles.
TLC is a simple, three-step safety reminder:
- T – Tyres: Are they legal, safe, and fit for the journey?
- L – Load: Is the trailer evenly balanced, secured, and within legal weight limits?
- C – Connectivity: Are the electrics, brakes, lights, and couplings correctly attached and working?
Each element is critical – and TLC encourages all drivers to take responsibility before every journey.
A Powerful Alliance for Road Safety
The TLC campaign is an initiative of the newly formed UK Towing Safety Alliance, a cross-industry collaboration convened by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS). The Alliance includes:
- National Caravan Council (NCC)
- NFU Mutual
- Road Safety GB
- The Camping and Caravanning Club
- Tilly Your Trailer
- The British Horse Society (BHS)
- The Pony Club
- …with more organisations joining this shared mission
Together, the Alliance is working to tackle the growing number of towing-related incidents on UK roads – many of which are entirely avoidable.
TyreSafe: Leading the Way on ‘T’ for Tyres
TyreSafe is proud to be part of the TLC campaign, focusing on the ‘T’ – Tyres – which account for a significant number of trailer-related breakdowns.
According to the DVSA Light Trailer Compliance Report (2023):
- 84% of running gear defects in non-caravan trailers were tyre-related
- Tyres accounted for 21% of all trailer defects recorded between 2019 and 2021
National Highways data also recorded:
- 1,544 tyre-related breakdowns involving towed vehicles in 2024
- A 9% increase in trailer tyre failures since 2022
These numbers highlight an urgent need for better awareness and routine tyre checks among those who tow.
Tyre Safety Made Simple
TLC encourages every driver to check their trailer’s tyres before towing:
✅ Tyre Pressure – Inflate to the correct level for the load
✅ Tread Depth – Minimum legal tread is 1.6mm, but more is safer
✅ Condition – Look for cracks, bulges, cuts, or signs of ageing
These checks take minutes but can prevent serious incidents, breakdowns, or worse.
“Tyre defects are one of the biggest causes of towing-related incidents. With the TLC campaign, we’re helping drivers understand that a quick check of tyres before setting off can make all the difference,”
– Stuart Lovatt, Chair, TyreSafe
Resources to Support TLC
As part of the campaign, TyreSafe and the UK Towing Safety Alliance are producing:
- Infographics and guides for drivers and businesses
- Social media toolkits for clubs, dealerships, and manufacturers
- Educational materials for events, training, and safety days
These free resources will help embed TLC into everyday towing culture and promote safer habits across industries and communities.
TLC: Check It. Share It. Save Lives.
TLC – Tyres. Load. Connectivity. – is more than a checklist. It’s a national movement to make towing safer for everyone. Whether you’re heading out with a horsebox, trailer, caravan, or work equipment, a few quick checks can prevent a major incident.
Explore TyreSafe’s free towing safety resources below and help spread the TLC message.
Check your tyres. Secure your load. Connect safely. Every time.
