Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
ABC News
ABC News
National

Caravanning is in the Aussie blood, but 'dangerous' ignorance makes for horror holidays

Car towing caravan loses control. (Supplied: Queensland Police)

Like thousands of Australians restless to be rid of COVID lockdowns, the Robertson family hitched a caravan to their car and set their sights on wide open spaces as soon as restrictions eased.

"As soon as we could we got a caravan and set out for a trip around Australia," mother-of-four Lynette Robertson said.

She and husband Robert are among the one in 13 Australian households with a caravan registered, according to the Caravan Industry Association of Australia.

Demand has reached record highs, according to the association which cited an 80 per cent increase in the number of units imported into the country since 2019.

But after several horror accidents and costly fines for drivers, police and experts are calling for stricter requirements and protections in an industry they say has jumped the gun.

"People think they can buy a caravan, hitch it to their car and head off," Sergeant Nathan Ivey of Townsville Highway Patrol said.

Luckily neither of the two travellers in this caravan roll-over sustained major injuries when it crashed on the Mitchell Highway, south of Charleville in early May 2022.  (Supplied: Police Media)

The majority of caravan crashes and incidents he has been involved in were due to uneven or overweight loads.

"I urge travellers to check their weight once they've packed all their gear and before they set out on the road," he said.

"You'll lose control of the car because the caravan will be driving it for you.

"If there's too much weight on the tow ball it will lift your vehicle up and impact how it handles on the road.

"We see a lot of unsafe driving because of that."

The aftermath of a crash on the Stuart Highway north of Coober Pedy, where a car towing a caravan rolled while overtaking. (Supplied: SA Police)

Sales over safety

Despite doing lengthy research on their shiny new toy it was not long before the Robertsons began encountering problems with caravanning.

Lyn Robertson (left) and Robert Robertson have been travelling Australia in their caravan. (ABC North West Queensland: Larissa Waterson)

"We found later on that we ran into a lot of issues with what we should and shouldn't be doing, and it was really hard to get that information otherwise.

"Each time we approached the caravan company we bought it off we've ended up doing a lot of the research and work ourselves."

Caravan safety advisor Tyler Tildesley said a lack of knowledge among travellers was a major issue, but he believed the industry had a lot to answer for.

Tyler Tildesley assisted the Robertson family to weigh their caravan in Mount Isa. (ABC North West Queensland: Larissa Waterson)

"Customers are told that their dual-cab utes and the bigger cars can tow three and a half tonne, but when you pack in all your gear it's quite easy to exceed that weight," he said.

"So you have an industry that is saying 'yes'. But that's not actually right.

Experts are urging travellers to get their caravans weighed after they've packed and before they hit the road. (ABC North West Queensland: Larissa Waterson)

Ms Robertson said she would like to see more of a focus on safety.

"I do think there's a lot more that retailers and industry can do to help customers better understand how these things work because it can be dangerous," he said.

Hefty penalties

Uneven and overweight caravans are common on the road, police say. (ABC North West Queensland: Larissa Waterson)

Sergeant Ivey has attended his fair share of caravan crashes and urged drivers unfamiliar with towing to educate themselves.

"Not only is it dangerous when you have an inexperienced driver towing an uneven or overweight load, but travellers also need to consider the costs involved if there is an incident," he said.

Such costs can include a void to any insurance claims as a result of negligent towing, or illegal loads.

Meanwhile, the list of penalties that apply can quickly drain a budget.

For example, exceeding the mass capacity of a vehicle will cop a $280 fine, and if any part of a load is not correctly fitted drivers will pay $287 for each section not properly connected.

Exceeding size restrictions — for example, bikes attached to the rear — will see a $287 fine, while failing to control a vehicle or towing unsafely will result in a $239 penalty per breach.

“Prevention is better than cure,” Sergeant Ivey said.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.