A spate of recent accidents has sparked renewed calls for caravanners to undergo compulsory training as a way of improving road safety.
The head of the South Australian Road Transport Association, Steve Shearer told the Adelaide Advertiser that for those towing caravans he thought there should be ‘some sort of requirements to confirm that you actually know what you’re doing’.’
He said that professional drivers had to undergo numerous tests as they drove increasingly heavier equipment, so it made sense to apply the same principle to those who towed caravans.
“If we’re serious about road safety then we need to ensure that people are appropriately competent for each class of vehicles that they’re operating,’’ Mr Shearer told the Advertiser. “A car or a four-wheel drive pulling a large caravan is essentially a different class of vehicle than just driving the car.’’
There are more caravans on the road then ever before. PIC: Cizza
It’s an issue which has been raised many times in the past, and one which has long caused debate even within the grey nomad community.
But, with the Covid pandemic resulting in a greater numbers of inexperienced caravanners hitting the road, it is likely calls for change will only grow.
Mr Shearer told the Advertiser that, while most caravanners were fine, there were some who did not know how to handle the load they were carrying, particularly inexperienced ones.
He gave a couple of examples of towing behaviour which doesn’t go down well with truckies.
He said that when a caravan was passing a truck coming from the other direction, the caravan driver often slowed down, or swerved and put a wheel off the bitumen and become unstable.
“Because they’ve slowed down, the caravan will start swaying and that really concerns truck drivers because it’s pretty easy for a caravan to get up a bit of a sway and suddenly it swings out and the truck will clip part of the caravan and that can be catastrophic,’’ Mr Shearer told the Advertiser.
He said another problem was drivers who sped up once they reached an overtaking lane to prevent other cars and truck drivers from passing them.
Caravan and Camping Association of SA president Peter White told the Adelaide Advertiser that, while he was not in favour of mandatory training, more education was needed for new caravan owners and they should be encouraged to take a licenced course.
“It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have something that’s for sure,’’ he said. “It’s not rocket science, but it’s just that initial getting behind the wheel and learning what can go wrong.’’
Yes sounds great.
No! However when getting a learners permit/drivers license there should be a section on how to load any towed vehicle ie: trailers, caravans, horse floats and boats. I’ve seen all of these swaying on the road through incorrect loading, and inappropriate hitching balance.
So you mean yes, as most people apply for a licence when they are young, and tow a caravan in latter life
Sorry mate cannot agree, the things we see on the Bruce Hwy with caravan drivers is unsafe, do you really think you can drive a small car around a city gives you the correct skill set to buy a Dodge Ram & 25ft van.
Yes, in my opinion it would make for safer towing.
So there accidents in all classes of licences so maybe everyone should have more training
Incorrect
We agree I’ll put my big girl boots on. Nervousness and all
Of course all drivers need to be aware when towing my concern how and where are they going to instruct the driver as to upgrade truck licences are on residential roads
So are we going to learn the basics on local roads like truck drivers then next day jump on the highway
I am sure we could do a 1 day in-house course with instructions on reversing how to overtake and be overtaken and other towing information into weights and loading
If it was cheaper Yes!
I agree with Jeanette, if it was a bit cheaper, $600/$700 for a days training, too much
No. Your not talking about driving a 90 ton rig. It is just as dangerous to towe a box trailer as it is a caravan. Box trailer can Jack Knife to. We have Truck drivers who cut corners and kill pedestrians who are waiting on a foot parth at corner. They are well licensed and still these accidents happen. I have never heard of a Caravan being towed doing this. I have been driving for over 50 years and have driven trailers since 1972. The last thing we need is another peace of red tape. We definitely do not need a Tax Grab or Driving Schools who now have become experts caravan instructors. As for knowing how to reverce a Caravan or Trailer even I would not try to Reverce park a caravan. I have never seen a Semi Trailer driver try to reverse park them either. I park my caravan within 1 to two inches where I want it.
I drive a B/double also I tow a caravan and I think it might be time to introduce training courses for towing,they are out there somewhere and how do you think semi’s unload at loading docks
To a point, I agree. No matter the training any driver towing or not, can experience something unusual they haven’t or can’t have been trained for. I would like to see a sign ‘learner tower’ so I don’t feel pressured to go faster by the impatience of others. Especially with the uneveness of some country roads. Give me the hwy any day when I’m towing & the others can make their own arrangements. .
Peter you need to get out of your comfort zone. I’m a heavy vehicle operator like a lot of others who have to reverse park on a daily basis for loading/unloading.
When I got my heavy truck licence I was required to parallel park between markers.
Parking is not the issue anyway,its being unaware of a heavy towed load behavior.
Semi drivers don’t reverse park????? Now I’ve heard it all.. seriously
This is exactly why we need a course to give people an understanding how bigger, heavier loads can adversely affect the handling of a towing vehicle. To tow a large caravan is vastly different from towing a box trailer.
Semi trailer drivers reverse park all day every day, and I reverse park my caravan almost every time it’s used.
Definitely there’s a lot of wood duck’s out there also a lot to take in if you are a new caravan Owner. I have been caravanning for 40 years never had a problem just got to know your surroundings Talk to the truck drivers, let them pass TWO WAY RADIOS SHOULD BE A MUST IN ALL TOW VEHICLES . Yes I agree there should be some sort of license for towing a caravan cheers Dennis Collier Perth WA
Yes -license for towing a caravan and if you can show your able to tow and show your capable by presenting a truck licence then you will be exempt . Talking about the radio well that’s another issue not everyone will understand how to use one I believe that needs to be addressed too. Backing isn’t so bad once your been shown how.
Hi Dennis, I agree two way radio’s are a good thing to communicate with trucks that might want to pass and other reasons. The stupid part is that it’s against the law for us to use them while we are driving. The same law that prevents us holding a mobile phone applies to two way radio’s also. Only police are allowed to use radio’s while driving as apparently they have had some “SPECIAL TRAINING” that allows them to use a two way radio while driving. This training isn’t available to other road users so we are all breaking the law when using a radio.
You, as the driver, are permitted to use driver assistance devices – which includes radios
you can use a toway radio police do
Hi John, where did you find that information.
Two way radio’s if it helps out or save’s a threatening situation then I will use regardless of the law common sense prevails cheers Den
Do it . Something is better than nothing.
Not if it’s the wrong something
I agree. I’ve learnt a lot about towing, some of it the hard way.
I hold a MC licence and have just started my grey nomad adventure. Towing a large caravan with a 4wd is completely different again to trucking and I completely agree that towing anything above 2t should require training/certification.
I drive trucks and trailers and you know that you are towing something, the biggest problem on the road are to many people and truck drivers in a hurry ,when you see a truck coming use commence and let it past I think UHF radios and towing mirrors should be mandatory
Mirrors are mandatory in all states mate
No they are not, the ADR only states that you must be able to see behind you, a rear vision camera meets the ADR requirement.
Sorry. A camera doesn’t meet the requirements.
You must be able to see down both sides of your van and if your standard mirrors don’t allow that then you must use towing mirrors.
I suggest you have another look at the requirements
Actually, the rules say ‘see by REFLECTION’ so a rear camera doesn’t comply. Oh, and a rear camera doesn’t cover the deadly ‘blind spot’. You really need to check the ADR reference.
Mr Shearer has the bull by the tail. He spoke of “Experience” which I may add, is gained by time and doing. For example, driving a car, cooking, hunting, shearing, hooking a trailer or caravan to the car and driving with it. The more you do the more you will gain “Experience”. Experience has taught me that an impatient car / truck driver cause quite a few of these so called inexperienced van driver accidents. This pop’s up yearly after 4 or 5 accidents involving caravans, but, there’s nothing said about the number of cars and or trucks involved, only a passing comment on the news.
Totally agree as we were newbies nearly 4 years ago. We booked ourselves into a tow-ed course & thought it great value. I note we both tow. We had done a lot of research on weights & limits & at least understood & purchased accordingly. I would add that apart from gaining experience the everyday driver on the road also needs educating & believe as part of learning to drive the aspect of educating about different vehicles & loads needs to be incorporated as part of the course. Ie manual cars (people use gears not necessarily brakes) but as 99% of people are taught to drive in an automatic they don’t even understand this concept & nearly run up the back of you as you have slowed without using brakes. Cars towing (anything) or 4wd’s for that matter that are heavier than a normal car, need more distance to stop but most people don’t even consider this aspect & cut you off. Education on a number of fronts needs to be considered for all road users safety.
No drive with common sense, should be number 1
The trouble with that is that common sense is not particularly common
Why don’t they put their money behind those statements and help fund caravan road safety programs like the Truck Friendly caravan road safety program. You will note most say there is more education needed, but few put there money into it or just try and reinvent the wheel and start another small effort, instead of supporting something that is actually working. Talk is cheap. Back it up with action and fundings.
I think a competency based driving test. With a pass giving you an endorsement on your license. Or if you have a MR license or better that should be enough.
I don’t think all caravan drivers should be made to take the course but definitely the new caravan drivers should. We have seen some stupid things that newbies do all because they don’t know what’s safe and what isn’t.
Also some don’t know about weight limits and how to pack a van. Need more education for new towers
No no no one in all in
I think once you tow anything that requires a breaking system regardless of type of trailer/caravan etc you should be tested and your licence be upgraded to a new class. Their are caravan and car combinations out there that are heavier than a light rigid, yet to drive the light rigid and it doesn’t even bend in the middle, you have to upgrade your licence. The people that are against this proposal are probably the ones that need testing the most. However if you already hold a heavy or multi combination class of licence this should cover the caravan class automatically.
I’m totally against this being mandatory absolutely not
I have towed since I was 17 I have been a critic of this proposal so I put my money $650 where my mouth is and did a nationally accredited towing course I learnt nothing I didn’t already know or that wasn’t just plain common sense
If you want to do one do it but it should not be forced on us
Cant teach the main cause of van accidents. Attitude.
Any crash, accidents do happen.
I have driven heavy vehicles all my life, I have towed a caravan for the past 48 years, without any issues, but I have seen some actions by caravans that have made my head spin at times. For those of us who I beleive have got the experience, leave us alone but for the first timers, they should at least do some sort of towing test to show they are competant in what they are intending to do when towing a van for the first time.
Yes I think
Absolutely, I see drivers with big vans doing some of the most ridiculous things on suburban roads let alone out on country roads… Number 1… get yourself some good quality mirrors. If you can’t see your corners you can’t see what’s behind you. Camera’s don’t do it!
I would recommend if you haven’t got a license for anything bigger than a car or 4WD & haven’t had a caravan registered in you name for 5 year’s it would be a good idea to do some sort of training but not at the expense of the suppliers charge they will cash in on the course’s. I have a HC & most if not all the heavy plant machinery ticket you just have to ring around to see the varied prices these guy charge for a tickets
Yes I think training & a licence test should be mandatory to tow a caravan. I have a car, motorcycle & boat operators licence, why not a caravan towing licence?
If you think that’s appropriate, should it not apply to towing a boat, or any other trailer as well? I have towed all of the above for many years, and there’s not much difference between any of them, if they are of a similar weight.
If caravan dealers check the tow vehicle to ensure buyers cars are suitable might help plus, I’ve noticed drivers drive above speed limits while towing. I’ve towed vans for many years and mostly do the highway speed limit however, always check conditions and adjust accordingly. Best to arrive alive
I would agree with a low-cost licence endorsement granted by the authority after passing a properly structured knowledge test and a demo drive. It is the knowledge that drivers need; gained either through reading, formal training and/or experience. Knowledge combined with courtesy and suitable experience is the ultimate aim.
Travelling around Australia for the past 10 years or so, I have witnessed some appalling situations concerning caravans. Clearly some people have no idea on how to manage their rigs, get the right weight and balance, and communicate with other road users. It should be mandatory to undergo some form of basic knowledge training, have proper side mirrors, rear camera and UHF. Simple stuff really.
why cant the caravan dealers and training companies get together and work out a deal where the cost of a course is included in the price of the van if it comes as part of the deal more people will go and do the courses
That sounds like a great idea. It should be part of buying a caravan. You shouldnt haveto.pay extra to do a course it should be included & free.
Yes… towing a caravan they should have to do the MR OR at least the LR training and licence. Learn weight and packing of weights. When I see people doing 30nkms under speed limit cause they are packed wrong and most of the time prob over loaded… car has boat on top bikes. 4 people and packed to the roof with gear then see caravan pulling down at the back. It’s a accident waiting to happen. More needs to be done especially now more and more people are getting caravans
I still say its the terrible roads not the drivers but if they want to bring in training do not make it mandatory but make it an option and work in with the insurance companies that if they hold a training certificate they get cheaper insurance.
There is no such thing as black spots or bad roads drive to the conditions and you will be all good x truck is from way back
Yes they definately should, we had to for heavy vehicle
Should be a licance to tow anything. A car licance can drive a silverardo that can tow 9 ton yet one needs a truck licance to drive a truck that weighs 4.5ton doesn’t make sence.
Think that over a combined weight this is a great idea.
As it is a lot of rigs should have a different license
i have been driving semi trailers form years till retirement and never seen a 6×4 trailer jack knife have seen them bend as being over loaded i now tow a caravan and yes there are some out there who need retesting before they go anywhere with their vans overloaded all over the road driving too fast also a bug bare of mine there should be a speed limit when towing as 100 or 110 is far too fast on most of our roads so think about it before you scream at the fact that there are quite a lot out there who need to do a course and upgrade their licenses before they kill someone else or them selves
Great idea to reduce the towing limit to 100kmh then cars towing caravans could be safely overtaken. Isdue big fines & demerit points for those who dont.
Should do a written test like a boat licence. Ie weight distribution, understanding Tow weights ,,speed limits , courtesy’s , brake distances , breaking downhill at speed etc
I spent 1 year reading up on all things caravanning before I set off .
Got the right car , right caravan and weight distribution across vehicle , rear axles and van are all under weight.
Most people don’t understand these basics . Towing itself is common sense .
Good idea. Is there a booklet available?
Maybe it would be a good start to have to do an oral test when you renew your licence. As this is only every 5 years it would not be an inconvenience. Driving record and amount of driving the person has completed. I would have no hesitation to do a competency test.
Not before time. A light articilated license is well overdue and should include any trailer being towed.
Exactly, some of the van combinations are 16-18 metres long, a semi , heavy combination, is 19 metres . You need to have a HC licence, but anyone can go and buy a Silverado or similar , then a 25 foot van and drive off around Australia. Having no experience at all not to mention no Idea of weights and how to load the vehicle or van.
Truck drivers all hold a truck class license but you still see lots of heavy vehicle accidents. I hold a HR license and have been towing caravans for over 40 years without a problem. I agree that some caravaners might need to attend a course on loading and parking but also feel that some truck drivers need to change their attitude regarding caravans. When you listen on the UHF some truck drivers are very rude regarding caravans and think trucks own the road. Problem might be on both sides of the fence.
Simple. Just have a free 20 min caravan driving caravan test which includes loading and reversing, parking etc. If you pass, you obtain a Letter on your license and the test is free. Most should pass.
If you dont pass – then you undergo manatory caravan training and pay for future tests however many times.
This will not only educate, but bring to the forefront the importance of the subject.
No P plate drivers with caravans untill full licence. Covers everyone fairly, educates those who cant.
Great idea. Agree only fully licensed drivers can tow caravans.
There should at least be some kind of educational video freely available to all caravaners showing the pitfalls of towing, safe towing guidelines and specifying the related laws and weight issues etc.
The compulsory training for van towing is a beat up pipe dream. For a start where do you set the weight level, box trailer, camping trailer, horse float, boat,or fifth wheeler. The next is trying to get uniformity across the country and lastly good luck trying to get the old timers to take a course. This is just a media beat up
Just wondering how long it would take to get all caravan owners, to undergo a mandatory towing course and licence years i suspect
Yes I definitely agree in towing education. What I disagree is the inference that it’s all grey nomads as per the start of the discussion there are many caravan operators who are younger and not Grey Nomad’s bad slure on we senior citizens.
Why not require new caravan owners to complete a knowledge test, in the same way as a learner licence for heavy vehicles. This could be done as a requirement for registering or transferring registration of a caravan.
Course yes, but not a government money grabbing licence as that wont stop the idiots, it common sense that’s needed and no licence will fix that!
No to the licence doing a training course if you never towed a caravan yes maybe the government can subsidised the course. I have towed caravans for twenty years all sizes you just pack the caravan correctly be mindful of your weights and drive to conditions and fix the bloody roads. Trev
I would suggest that the number of road deaths involving a caravan Vs motor vehicles would be significant less when the km traveled by each group is compared.
To me this just another example of a industry group endeavouring to raise the profile for their commercial gain.
No I don’t think a license is necessary however training should be made available for those that feel they need it.As for speeding up when a overtaking lane is coming up it’s not only caravans that increase their speed.
The issue that needs to be addressed is the weight, GVM and GCM, this is ignored by so many caravan drivers. If the car and van are within the limits, it fine. You will find most are over weight.
I do think the sales rep caravan companies should put a basic caravan course when you buy a van at there cost tey make aware profit so they can do that if they won’t you to buy the van
I think one problem is the caravan industry itself. So many vans out there being towed by the wrong vehicle. Salesmen need to take some responsibility when a newbie arrives to buy their new rig, and give genuine advice on the capability of the tow vehicle to handle the van being purchased.
No unless all new drivers do a course as well more kids die than caravaners