Australia’s first caravan rollover of the New Year has already taken place but, thankfully, there were no injuries.
The incident happened on the Lyell Highway at Gormanston in Tasmania yesterday. Police say the vehicle towing the caravan did not roll off the road, and no one was hurt in the drama.
A northbound lane of the Lyell Highway near Queenstown was blocked for a brief period while the caravan was cleared from the road, which passes through the West Coast Range.
The year just gone was an horrific one in terms of caravan accidents with a number of rollovers resulting in major frights, injuries and even death.
A man died last April in a rollover near Wangaratta in Victoria, and there were injures at a number of similar incidents, including ones at Naringal East in Victoria, Comet in Queensland, Borroloola in the NT, and on the Hume Highway near Goulburn.
I feel for these people. Hope they can get over the trauma Ok.
We actually need the manufacturers of caravans to toe the line and to build vans that are tow safe. Speaking as a former driver trainer I think we also need driver/tower education. Whilst I hate the thought of mandatory towing courses perhaps a better Idea would be for insurance company’s to give a reduction in premiums to those that have done such a course.