Celebrate the New Year safely on the road

Whether you are towing a recreational vehicle (RV), have loaded the car up with camping gear or are simply hitting the road on your way to a quality caravan holiday park, safety is paramount at this time of year, with an increased number of vehicles on the road and drivers often rushing to reach their destination.

As you prepare for your trip there are a number of tips suggested for people planning long haul trips over the busy Christmas and New Year period.

Before leaving home, travellers should take the time to run through a quick checklist to ensure a safe trip.

To begin with, ensure the car is not overloaded, and the driver can see out of the back window without their vision being obscured. Visibility is particularly important when towing an RV so ensure you can see clearly out of all mirrors before leaving home.

Take the time to ensure everything in your caravan, motorhome or other type of RV is secure and that your mirrors are in correct working order, particularly when towing a product. By ensuring everything is distributed evenly through your RV you can reduce the chance of the caravan swaying.

Ensure your RV is correctly coupled to the tow vehicle and the safety chain is fitted. Also check the brake lights, tail lights, clearance lights and electric brakes are all working.
While on the road, try to stay to the left in order to give overtaking vehicles as much space as possible. If you are in an area where overtaking is difficult ensure you pull over regularly to allow following vehicles to pass you if possible.

"Even if you are in a rush to make to your destination, take it slow when driving or towing an RV product, ensure you leave a larger distance than usual between yourself and the vehicle in front and allow plenty of extra time and space when entering traffic.

Don’t forget to keep a cool head while travelling and remember to stop regularly on long haul trips.

“Stay alert when driving and take time to enjoy the journey,” advises Ben Yates, Chief Executive Officer for Caravan, RV & Accommodation Industry of Australia (CRVA). “Plan plenty of rest stops to avoid fatigue and share the driving, but remember that the only cure for fatigue is sleep, so if you’re tired, don’t drive.”

Don’t forget to check out some of the other useful towing and safety tips, as well as other practical information for caravan, motorhome and RV owners on the Useful Information page.