Grey nomads who are nervous about driving in strong winds won’t take any comfort from the fate of a tourist in New Zealand whose motorhome was literally blown off the road.
Happily, no one was injured in the terrifying incident at Burkes Pass on the Fairlie-Tekapo Rd near Tekapo on the South Island.
Police say the hired vehicle was ‘caught out’ by high winds, causing it to roll off the road and into a ditch.
With a major cyclone already having recently smashed the east coast here in Australia and all long-term weather forecasts pointing to more extreme weather, many caravanners and motorhomers are rightfully wary of hitting the road in their high-sided vehicles in windy conditions.
Late last year a caravan was blown over as it crossed a busy bridge in Hobart.
The South Australian Government warns that grey nomads travelling on windy days need to be exceptionally careful.
“Just make sure that you take it easy and watch for any potential crosswinds,” it says. “A good guide is to look at the trees ahead and along the road to see how much they are being blown about.”
It says drivers should also slow down when they are about to pass a truck as the air disturbance can cause a car and caravan to get buffered and lose control.
Alko is a company that produces electronic stability control systems to minimise sway, but it still cautions that, on occasions, it can be wise to acknowledge the might of Mother Nature.
“Towing a caravan in strong winds multiplies the chance of sway and overturning,” it says. “If extreme winds are presenting a challenge, play it safe and pull over into a nearby rest area or park until the elements settle again.”
* Have you ever had a high wind fright while towing your caravan or driving your motorhome? How windy does it have to be before you say: ‘I’m not going anywhere today’? Comment below
To right, recently travelling from Adelaide to Mt Gambier in strong wind conditions a motorhome traveling in the opposite direction from me seemed to be having some trouble staying in their lane, I pulled over to the hard shoulder & still narrowly avoided a head on with these people. We have all the time in the world,if you cant handle your rig in adverse conditions just pull over no one will think any less of you. cheers Jack.