With the Covid pandemic severely restricting overseas travel, more caravans and motorhomes have been on the road this Christmas … and, sadly, not all the trips have gone well.
A car towing a caravan crashed into a ditch on the Bruce Highway a few days ago, sparking major traffic delays for Sunshine Coast motorists.
Queensland Police Services spokesman said the crash happened in the southbound lanes north of the Roys Road interchange.
“A car towing a caravan reportedly swerved to miss a vehicle and went into the median strip,” he said. “There were no injuries.”
And in New South Wales yesterday, a caravan flipped on the Hume Highway, just north of Pheasants Nest, blocking one northbound lane. There have been no reports of any serious injuries. The incident led to traffic queues stretching back five kilometres or more.
The fact that there are more vans on the road this holiday period has obviously increased the chances of there being accidents involving RVs.
Covid pandemic has seen a huge spike in RV sales, with the RAC in WA saying caravan insurance has jumped 50% in the past six months compared to 2019.
RAC communications manager Rhys Heron warned that many drivers will be new to towing vans and camper trailers, and may be travelling long distances on unfamiliar roads.
“Vehicles towing a caravan can’t travel as fast as other cars and need to allow extra space for turning and braking, in case they have to stop suddenly,” he said. “It’s been a tough year already — let’s be patient, slow down and share our roads so we can all enjoy a safe and happy holiday.”
Slow down
I sit on 90km/h with the van on the back and guarantee someone with a van on will pass me like I’m standing still. The speed limit in Western Australia is 100km/h for vehicles towing trailers. I have noticed more vans and motorhomes on the road than other years.