In its road safety advice, the Queensland Government  warns motorcycle riders are more vulnerable to serious injury in a crash. When sharing the road with motorcycles, it says motorists  must:

• Scan the traffic for motorcycles (front, rear, left, right)
• Check your blind spots by looking into your mirrors and over your shoulder before changing lanes or turning
• Check for motorcycles when approaching intersections—motorcycles are not always easy to see and their small size can make it difficult to judge their speed and distance
• Leave a safe space between your vehicle and the motorcycle when overtaking
• Give motorcycles plenty of room when behind—in good driving conditions, keep a 2 second gap between you and the motorcycle, allow more space on wet roads

Sadly though, there have been a number of nasty accidents involving collisions between motorcycles and caravans in recent years.

In April, a 72-year-old man was killed when his three-wheeled motorbike was involved in an accident with a caravan on the Cunningham Highway in Queensland. And, back in February, a 60-year-old motorcyclist was killed after his Harley-Davidson was involved in a collision with a caravan outside of a Hervey Bay van park.

In May last year, a motorcyclist in his 70s was taken to hospital after suffering a ‘significant’ arm injury in a collision with a caravan at Bargara in Queensland’s Bundaberg region.

And, for all the accidents that do to take place, there are plenty of close shaves, too.

While every road accident is different, it is clear that being alert and vigilant on the road at all times is critically important in avoiding accidents, and especially so on big driving days.

Last September, a 78-year-old retired farmer was sentenced to 280 hours of unpaid community work after his caravan was involved in a collision which caused the death of a 65-year-old motorcyclist in south-west Victoria.

The ABC reports that man had had a long day’s driving before the accident. However, the judge in the case said a momentary lapse of attention was the cause of the crash, and that fatigue was not a contributing factor.

The ABC reports that, during a previous plea hearing, prosecutor Andrew Moore had said the circumstances of the case were different to most other fatal crashes.

“This is not a case where innocent lives are snuffed out by a drunk, drugged driver or a hoon driving at extraordinary speeds,” Mr Moore said. “It is a case where an older person who had a long day made a silly mistake which had tragic consequences.”

• Have you ever had an incident where you had a ‘start’ when a motorcycle seems to ‘appear out of nowhere’? Comment below.