As the Christmas approaches campers and caravan owners have been warned to take extra care on the roads.
Some 800,000 RVs are expected to hit the road, with more than 4 million trips this summer, reveals the Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA).
November sees the launch of the Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s summer Caravan & Camping Safety initiative.
Education and awareness throughout November and December is of the utmost importance, CIAA says.
Research shows accidents are most likely to occur in the following circumstances:
- RV road users are most likely to have a crash on Monday or Sunday as drivers return from their holidays
- Crashes are most likely to occur between 10am and 12pm
- While crashes are more likely to occur in urban centres, fatalities are more likely to occur on regional roads
- Rear Ends are the most common reason for a crash (18 per cent) followed by collisions when turning (14 per cent) and losing control (13 per cent)
Forewarned is forearmed and each day road users are encouraged to pre-plan the next leg of their trip.
CIAA says this information is relevant for all road users regardless of experience and will enable them to manage fatigue, appropriate use of rest stops including truck rest areas, vehicle preparation, sharing the road with trucks, towing, caravan parks shared spaces and pool safety.
“Arriving safely at your destination is obviously critical but statistics show that there is also an increased risk of drownings in the summer months and the campaign will also focus on water and pool safety,” spokesman Keelan Howard said.
In the coming months, some 14 million nights and four million or more camping trips will be taken.
As caravan holiday parks look forward to welcoming back campers for what will hopefully be a bumper summer, a key focus will also include pool safety and shared spaces within caravan holiday parks, as
“Camping popularity is at an all-time high, as Australians see the many benefits of a camping holiday, getting back into nature with family and friends, seeing our beautiful country and supporting tourism and regional areas while also escaping the stress of our busy day to day lives.
“The last few years have reminded Australians how lucky we are, and that we may have taken some of our fondest and simplest pleasures for granted.” Howard said.
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