The frighteningly high number of accidents involving caravans is continuing to cause deep concern for road safety experts, and the Federal Government has pledged to re-double its efforts to address the issue.
Talking to the Grey Nomads, the Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz, said driver education was a vital component of the effort … but stressed it was only a part of the picture.
“While education is important, people will still make mistakes on our roads, and they should not pay for those mistakes with their life,” he said. “That is why all levels of government are working together with our communities in changing the road transport system to prevent fatal and serious injuries.”
Mr Buchholz said the Government’s investments in road safety, and the finalisation of the new National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 would be beneficial to caravan owners and all other road users.
“At the present time, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications does not collect details of caravan crashes,” he told the Grey Nomads. “However, road safety is a priority and the Australian Government is committed to reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by all road crashes.”
Mr Buchholz said that in the 2020-21 Federal Budget the Government committed $2 billion over 18 months to deliver an estimated 3,000 kilometres of road safety improvements.
“The Program will deliver works such as new shoulder sealing, rumble strips to alert drivers they are moving out of their lane, median treatments to prevent head-on collisions, and barriers to prevent run-off crashes and protect against roadside hazards,” he said.
The Minister said new rest stops were also being considered as part of the Government’s road safety upgrade program.
“This additional investment builds on the $500 million that Government is already spending on targeted road safety works, and an additional $8 million over two years to upgrade existing or establish new Driver Reviver sites across the country to tackle driver fatigue,” Mr Buchholz said. “A key outcome of the Driver Reviver Sites Upgrade Program is to reduce road trauma, particularly trauma attributable to driver fatigue.”
The Government says it is also allocating funds to educate road users in order to minimise incidents, and to encourage consistent and compliant behaviour on road networks.
“The project identifies nine core areas,” Mr Buchholz said. “Towing; vehicle weight and weight distribution; speed; overtaking safely; UHF radio communication; rest; roadside services; consumer behaviour; and licensing.”
The answer is simple. Real Barrista coffee at driver reviver sites not “caterers blend”
The driver reviver sites are rarely open anyway – just long weekends & peak holiday times. I stay off the road in those periods.
More rest stops please, away from the main road…especially in remote areas.
There is plenty of available space in this big country.
More free camps like in North West WA. The free camping there is amazing. Leaves the rest of Australia for dead.
A van and trailer endorsement on drivers licences, after a towing course is successfully completed. Driver education is paramount, without it, all the best roads in the world will not help operator ignorance.
A wonder if the number of accidents per 100,000 vans has increased over the last 50 years. I suspect not. Modern vehicles and vans tow better and are far safer whilst roads are vastly better. It all comes back to the driver. Any initiatives to improve things are welcome but driver education and law enforcement needs to be improved. Licensing is not needed as we all are supposed to be licensed and look at all the idiots and accidents even among professional drivers.
Driver revivers are all very well when they are open but in my 3 years of full time travel I estimate only 5% of those we have passed have been open.
Bette education on then right van for the tow vehicle, stop dealers telling people their car will tow the van without giving the info that to much extra weight packed in will cause issues.
More places to learn how to tow a van.
More education on how to pack a van properly
Small incentive for the people that volunteer for the road side assist sometimes it hard for small communities to find volunteers. Our community instigated one closed down
more large overnight rest areas
More rest areas first priority then if you need to pas the speed limit to overtake then you didn’t need to overtake and don’t speed up when you get to the overtaking lane
Rest areas where you can actually “rest” not that you are chastised for napping in your car, because it says “ no camping”
They don’t keep records yet state “frighteningly high number of accidents” If they don’t keep records how can they tell how many accidents and what causes them Maybe other driver error
No matter how improved things are nowadays, the main factor in accidents is still the human behind the wheel. And I don’t see progress in that department at all. What I see is impatience, selfishness, no tolerance and no courtesy. Things need to change there. And everyone needs to learn to slow down, why is everyone always in such a hurry? Relax!
Oh and yes, there are definitely not enough rest areas, neither for travellers nor for trucks! And it needs more overtaking lanes to let others pass. I don’t like to be pushed and it shouldn’t be stressful to lookout for somewhere to pull over and let others pass. Some stretches are just insanely long between possibilities. Not having the national highways with four lanes all the way is just a disgrace and shows absolute lack of forwards thinking. You’ve got to feel sorry for the truckies.
We have been travelling throughout Aust. when ever we had the opportunity and more particularly in the last 20 something years and are “on the .road for” 3 – 5 months at a time.
I’m not sure that more roadside rest areas are the answer, certainly we don’t seem to have a problem with the quantity of them and I don’t think “Driver Reviver” stops are the answer. We always get a Thermos ready every morning before we “hit the road”. I have an HR (Heavy Rigid), truck license so in some ways I guess I might see things differently when on the road ??.
What does concern me more is driver education in that I have personally known two people, both with sizeable caravans and tow vehicles that, prior to buying their dream home on wheels, have NEVER towed anything before, in fact NEVER had a tow bar on their car ?????.
The other thing I have noticed is that some drivers, drive when pulling their vans as if they weren’t towing anything at all. Overtaking and driving as though they were on the way to supermarket before it closed. We usually travel around the 90 – 95 kmh mark but have people towing large rigs over taking us. We don’t understand what the rush is all about and we will pull over when we get the chance.
Anyway, that’s my 2 bobs worth,
Stay Safe, Cheers Sundy
I agree with you Sundy. So many want to pass when I’m doing 90. Here in WA the speed limit for anything being towed is 100. Caravan, semi, B double , 2 trailers, 3 trailers. The only ones limited to 90 are the tri drives pulling 4 trailers into Port Headland. I too, have an HR licence since May 2 1968. Towed my first caravan in 1969.
your two bobs worth is worth thousands. If only people would listen.
By far the most important thing I have observed is the lack overtaking opportunities on non-divided highways. Increased traffic on roads designed & built 50 years ago means too many hills, bends and oncoming traffic to pass safely. Should be a minimum of one overtaking lane every 5 kilometres so following traffic don’t need to take undue risks. AND police fines for those who speed up in overtaking lanes as they are being passed.
Totally agree : AND police fines for those who speed up in overtaking lanes as they are being passed.
It’s been mentioned before, but if there are no statistics then how do we know that there has been an increase in van related crashes?
We all know that there is a significant number of incompetent drivers on the road and they drive all sorts of vehicles. These same people don’t automatically become competent when the hitch up so it stands to reason that some of these would be involved in an incident sooner or later.
Cindy, may I suggest that The Grey Nomads approach caravan and motor home retailers and provide them details of your website where newbies can then ask questions and could learn from the more experienced?