End of holiday crash warning
RV-related accidents more likely to occur on a Sunday or Monday in the morningWhen are road accidents involving recreational vehicles most likely to occur?
According to the latest statistics from the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, RV road users are most likely to have a crash on Sunday or Monday -- the days when many travellers return from their holidays, or head off on a trip.
RV-related crashes are also most likely to occur during the brightest part of the day: between 10am and 12pm, according to the accident data provided by State Transport and Police Departments.
Whilst crashes are more likely to occur in urban centres, fatalities are more likely to occur on regional roads, where there's also an increased risk of animal strikes.
According to the data -- which is being collated as part of a project with the Caravan & Trailer Road Safety Alliance -- rear end impacts are the most common RV-related crash (18%) followed by 'angle' collisions, or those that occur when turning (14%).
Thirteen percent of RV crashes are attributed to 'losing control' which relates to issues around caravan sway including excessive speeding, overtaking and overweight and unbalanced rigs.
NSW government figures show that between 2016 and 2020, there were 215 casualty crashes involving caravans on NSW roads, resulting in 17 fatalities and 116 serious injuries.
Speaking recently at a Joint Senate Committee for Road Safety, CIAA CEO Stuart Lamont said "driver error and frustration" was one of the major causes of caravan-related crashes on Australian roads.
"In terms of RV and road infrastructure the number one cause of caravan fatalities is head-on crashes. This is mostly caused through driver error and frustration," Lamont said.
"They have the potential to cause significant injuries to those involved and also long delays on key transit routes.
"Consideration must be given to better funding for appropriate rest areas away from local communities, on known thoroughfares, for fatigue management purposes and without turning them into quasi caravan parks or overnight stopovers, as well as an increased number of passing lanes and slow vehicle turnouts."
Lamont also pointed the finger at towing instability caused by overweight caravans, and the number of new, inexperienced and 'rusty' RV travellers on the roads.
"Unlike a truck driver who is on the road most days of the week, we've got consumers that are towing their caravan going away on holiday," he said.
"There's quite an element of excitement and emotional connection attached to it but in some cases it's unfamiliar in the first instance of the product that they're towing.
"That's why we see the greatest number of road accidents occurring on Monday mornings... as people are either returning after a holiday adventure or just starting out their adventure, and much of those occur in urban or metropolitan areas. They're not serious injury accidents but they do appear on the statistics.
The peak industry body is also pushing for more professional towing education for caravan newbies.
"We're strongly advocating in terms of some post-licence driver education training," Lamont said.
"Less than 10 per cent of people who purchased new vehicles this year will undertake a towing course. They're only $600 so it's a small price to pay at the end of the day for the safety of your loved ones to get back home after your caravanning trip."
With the the owners of 800,000 registered RVs in Australia expected to take a combined four million road trips this summer, the CIAA in conjunction with various trucking bodies recently launched a 'Caravan & Camping Safety' campaign in the lead up to Christmas.
The mostly online safety campaign will raise awareness of the importance of trip pre-planning to manage fatigue, the appropriate use of rest stops including truck rest areas, vehicle preparation, sharing the road with trucks, and towing safety.
Further details can be found on the National Recreational Vehicle Towing Guide and the Co-Exist website.
The Caravan Council of Australia also recommends a caravan and tow vehicle inspection before heading off on any trip.
"We want everyone in Australia who tows a caravan or camper-trailer to have it inspected before they take to the road, to ensure it is legal and safe," the CCA's Colin Young said.
"It is important to understand ratings and masses to ensure that no ratings are ever exceeded."
Top tips to avoid a caravan crash
Be prepared
Ensure the vehicle and caravan or camper trailer are in optimum condition and you’ve done everything possible to avoid problems en-route. Also allow enough time for scheduled and unscheduled stop-offs so you don’t have to rush get to your campsite before dark.
Read the road
A five tonne towing rig handles and brakes differently from an unladen single vehicle and speed should be trimmed to suit. Slow down at dusk/dawn and night time or when the road is wet.
Control fatigue
Fatigue is a killer on our roads. Take regular rest breaks --- every two hours is a good rule of thumb. Drink water to prevent fatigue-causing dehydration in an air-conditioned vehicle.
Ignore bullies
Try to ignore pushy truckies and other road bullies and the often constant CB stream of profanities.
The two-second gap
Leave sufficient space -- a two second gap -- between your rig and the vehicle in front for sudden braking, etc.
Stay alert
Eye direction needs to be lower when city driving than when in the country, because hazards are more numerous around town and closer, thanks to lower road speed and higher traffic density.
Anticipation is important
Even before setting off think about the likely road conditions and the state of the vehicle and its load. Extra care is needed if the roads are heavily trafficked, or if the tow vehicle or caravan is loaded differently from normal.
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