Caravan owners not as hated as they used to be

Jeremy Clarkson has been partly credited for helping soften the public perception of caravan owners after a new poll showing they’re no longer the most hated road users was published.

Tractors are now UK drivers’ biggest gripe on the road, knocking caravan owners into second place. Sunday drivers, learner drivers and cyclists make up the rest of the top five respectively.

The Top Five Most Hated Road Users survey was commissioned by website Caravaninsurance.com, whose staff couldn’t hide their delight at the humble motor home being just a little bit less rage-inducing to the public as it was last year.

Philip Alden, Managing Director of Caravaninsurance.com, even took time to praise Top Gear host Clarkson for helping to boost the overall public perception of mobile holiday homes.

“We can’t deny that there’s a long and winding road to get caravan owners off this list altogether, but we think people are looking past the bad press they get and see caravans in a more popular light.

“Perhaps the caravan-exploding antics by the likes of Jeremy Clarkson and his Top Gear chums have done us a favour and got the public thinking that a caravan might be fun to own after all.”

The art of caravanning is enjoying something of a renaissance according to Caravaninsurance.com. The Hastings-based company says that caravanning in the UK was up by an astonishing 12 per cent in 2011, as people chose to stay home instead of travelling abroad for their holidays. Therefore, there’s no need to be embarrassed so get your caravan insurance and get on the road!

Even though Mr. Alden concedes that caravan owners are amongst a list of usual suspects in the Top Five Most Hated Road Users poll, he suggests that scores of bad drivers are more deserving of making the list.

“Funnily enough, we don’t see aggressive business drivers, motorway tail-gaters and boy racers on the list, and they’re the road users most likely to have higher insurance premiums.”