Motorists who tow caravans could receive mandatory training if some of Australia’s most vocal advocacy groups have their way.
As reported by ABC News, a number of motoring clubs and road safety advocacy firms have thrown their support behind caravaners being put through training before taking to the road, following a boom in the industry throughout and post-COVID.
National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO) safer infrastructure leader Emily McLean told the publication a special licence for caravanning motorists “could be helpful”, however training – or at least, a current lack thereof – is more likely to drive change.
“On the road isn’t the best place to learn the skills that you need to safely travel,” Ms McLean told the ABC.
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“Another option might be to have that training as an endorsement on an individual’s licence.
“Any sort of licensing scheme would have to be put in place at the state or territory level, but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be a national agreement or endorsement around what that looks like.”
Practical driver training may not be the only solution, with Caravan Clubs of Queensland president Adrian Skinner telling the ABC another alternative could be simple education on the physics of towing.
“I think a lot of the problems come about through bad set-ups with cars and caravans,” Mr Skinner said.
“The car sags in the back end, or the back of the van sags down, and those two things can induce a sway or instability.”
The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) said approximately four per cent of the state’s road fatalities between 2017 and 2021 involved a light vehicle (passenger car, ute) towing a caravan or trailer.
Despite this relatively low figure, it supports caravan owners undertaking greater driver training, even running its own course which involves practical driving and weight-based elements.
“If your caravan is overweight, it impacts the way your vehicle handles and can seriously affect your safety behind the wheel,” an RACQ spokesperson told ABC News.
“That’s why we strongly recommend caravan owners undertake training to better understand the dynamics of weight when towing.”
