With caravan rollovers continuing to occur on a regular basis, more and more attention is inevitably being focussed on driver skills and on correct rig weights.
A recent social media post which claimed 65 of the 72 caravans and motorhomes weighed by police in a random stop at Capella in Queensland were found to be overweight has gone viral.
However, Queensland police say the weighing event referred to in the post is actually three years old. Nonetheless, they say, the lessons remain relevant.
“As part of our ongoing commitment to road safety throughout Central Region, police will periodically intercept and weigh vehicles towing trailers, caravans, boats and horse floats, and provide unsafe vehicles with directions to fix any issues identified at the next available opportunity,” a police spokesperson told the Grey Nomads.
Police use scales to weigh a caravan at a Gin Gin rest area this year PIC: Queensland Police
“Whilst many of the vehicles weighed have been overweight, the majority of the time this can be corrected by moving items between the vehicle and their van/trailer, and vice versa.”
Police said that failure to comply with weight limits can make vehicles unstable causing accidents that can result in serious harm to road users.
“Motorists need to be aware of their vehicle’s gross vehicle mass (GVM), their van/ trailer aggregated mass (ATM) and their combined Gross Combination Mass (GCM),” the spokesperson said. “When towing, police urge all motorists to be aware of and avoid sudden accelerating, braking or steering manoeuvres, consider additional stopping time and maintaining larger gaps when following other vehicles, and account for the additional length and slower rate of acceleration when turning or over-taking.”
Police regularly attend caravan and camping shows providing education and advice on how to work out weights, and they also conduct caravan educational sessions.
At one held at a rest area at Gin Gin in Queensland earlier this year, officers weighed caravans and vehicles, and provided advice on proper packing so that weight is evenly divided over axles.
Police there found that 90% of caravanners had no idea how much weight they should be towing, or if they had packed their van and vehicle correctly.
As well as a growing focus on weight education, there also remain persistent voices calling for the introduction of some sort of compulsory towing course for caravanners.
With the caravan and camping lifestyle booming, the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), for example, has previously said accredited training for first-time towers could be an important step towards improving road safety.
Are you a Grey Nomad member yet? Click here to find out about the discounts, competitions and other benefits on offer.
