RV OPINION
"DRIVE ATTITUDES ARE FORMED BY THREE THINGS:
PATIENCE, TOLERANCE AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING."
Among those at the
forefront is the Facebook
group Everything Caravan
and Camping, which has held
a number of free RV safety
checks where RVs of all types
are checked by qualified staff
for gas, electrical and towing
compliance.
“Our safety days are
about educating RV owners
in all aspects of vanning,
from hitching up to towing,
understanding the relevant
weights, and making sure their
van, whether it’s a caravan,
motorhome or fifth wheeler,
is safe and compliant,” Matt
Sutton of Everything Caravan
and Camping said. “The
idea that caravanners are
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a danger on our roads, like
what we’ve seen recently on
TV, is a simplistic and unfair
generalisation that throws
a shadow over an entire way
of life.”
The Australian Caravan Club,
meanwhile, has announced
that educating RVers on safe
driving practices would form
part of its Focus 2018 policy.
“Our policy team is already
heavily engaged in developing
a ‘Sharing the Road’ Code
of Conduct with a major
trucking industry peak
body,” club chairman Craig
Humphrey said.
“Our team is also finalising
education tools in conjunction
with the Caravan Council of
Australia for use by RVers
when selecting tow vehicles
and caravans. These tools
are designed to be used
as a guide towards having
a combination that is 100
per cent legally compliant
regarding masses and ratings.”
These are just two examples
of grassroots efforts to
improve road safety for
RVers and, by extension,
all motorists. Including
truck drivers.
But they are unsexy.
They lack dramatic moments
captured on film.
And for that reason, it’s
unlikely you’ll hear about
them on programs such as
A Current Affair.