A LEADING Australian body representing caravaners and recreational vehicle owners has backed a national safety campaign targetting road interactions between its members and heavy vehicles.
The co-exist campaign, designed to inform and educate campers about interacting with trucks safely on the road, has been welcomed by the Australian Caravan Club (ACC).
Research undertaken by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia for the campaign, which is funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, revealed around a quarter of caravan and recreational vehicles users had stayed overnight in truck rest areas.
ACC national director and Naracoorte resident Deb Bott said rest stop usage was a “major issue” for caravaners and truckies and was an annual focus for the organisation.
“We promote our members to always use the correct areas for breaks,” she said.
“Caravaners need to be aware that fatigued truck drivers need these truck stops to rest, where we can always find a caravan park or a designated area.
“I think in South Australia we are quite lucky because we have a lot of rest areas and places for caravans and trucks to stop.
“But in the eastern states it is a lot more difficult, especially north of Sydney and through Queensland.
“Sometimes there are not truck stops for what seems like forever and if a fatigued truckie pulls in to find the spot taken over by caravaners then they are going to have to keep on driving which is just not safe for anyone.”
Welcoming the national campaign, Ms Bott highlighted the need for more caravan friendly roads and road safety campaigns.
“We use to only see caravans on roads seasonally, but with it growing in popularity each year, we see them all year round,” she said.
“This is great, but also means we need to see more focus put on improving our roads and rest areas around the country as well as educating other road users on safe practices around caravans and trucks.
“One of the biggest concerns is overtaking, especially on country roads.
“When you are on a dual lane freeway it is obviously an easy task, but travelling on smaller country roads people need to know when it is safe to overtake and how long it actually takes to get past a larger vehicle.
“We all need to be safe and responsible road users at the end of the day because we are not only responsible for ourselves, but others on the roads too.”
NHVR chief executive Sal Petroccitto said the new campaign would save lives.
“Long haul heavy vehicle drivers are often managing fatigue and getting good quality rest is critical to keeping all road users safe,” Mr Petroccitto said.
“I’m pleased that we have been able to work with the caravan industry on ways to reduce risk for holiday makers and supporting our truckies who keep Australia moving.”
