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JULY 2022
     

Timely reminder to consider the implications of towing

Police offer raft of advice for grey nomads heading north for Qld's winter sunshine

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NORTH Queensland is experiencing an influx of caravanners and motorhomes taking advantage of the region's great winter weather.

And, according to Crime Prevention Tablelands Senior Constable Aleda Day, the influx provides a timely opportunity to remind all travellers to be patient and drive to road conditions.

Almost half of all crashes in 2020 and 2021 involving a vehicle towing a caravan and deemed to be at fault were caused by either the caravan or tow vehicle losing control.

In the far north, not all roads are two lanes and sealed with bitumen and driving on unsealed roads can be more difficult, especially when towing a caravan or camper.

Senior Constable Day said that a common mistake drivers made was not knowing how much they could tow.

"We often see vehicle manufacturers advertise a certain towing capacity for their vehicles and this can give drivers a false sense of security," he warned.

"Just because a vehicle manufacturer states a vehicle can tow 3.5 tonne, it does not necessarily mean that the vehicle, fully loaded with passengers, fuel and luggage, can still tow 3.5 tonne."

It was important to remember that weights often include a fully fuelled car, passengers and a fully loaded caravan, as well as extras on the vehicle such as bull bars, roof racks and aftermarket tyres, he said.

These could add up quickly and easily push your load over the weight limit for your vehicle's Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) or your combination's Gross Combination Mass (GCM).

When this happens, the consequences can be serious for you, your passengers, your caravan and other road users.

When travelling with a poorly distributed load, your caravan may begin to sway or 'snake' which can lead to a crash.

If faced with this, it is important to:

● Remain calm. Do not panic. Do not accelerate and avoid the urge to apply the towing vehicle's brakes.
● Don't stab at the tow vehicle’s brakes and don’t try to control the sway by steering into it.
● Keep the steering wheel pointed straight ahead as much as possible.
● If the trailer is fitted with electronic brakes, activate them manually using the override feature.
● Gradually release the accelerator and reduce speed until the swaying stops.
● Once the vehicle has regained stability, slow right down and pull off the road at the first safe opportunity.
● When safe to do so, check your load is distributed correctly and your tyre pressure is correct before you start driving again.

Apart from your normal driving responsibilities, towing requires a greater degree of knowledge and skill than normal driving.

Senior Constable Day said the additional weight of a caravan or trailer could have a significant impact on the way a vehicle handled on the road.

"Towing is very different to everyday driving, and it requires additional driving skills and safety precautions," he said.

"Cornering and the braking performance of vehicles are affected when towing.

"As a driver, you have a legal responsibility to ensure the towing vehicle, trailer and its load meet all legal and safety requirements."

Police commonly see crashes occur when a caravan overtakes, merges or changes lane and clips the front of a car travelling behind it.

Being aware of the length of your trailer is important. This includes having additional mirrors to see the full length of your car and trailer so crashes like these don't occur.

Drivers must be able to see down the full length of their vehicle and caravan. Simply having a camera on the rear of the caravan is not sufficient and may result in enforcement action being taken.

It is suggested that before heading out on the road and towing a caravan, drivers should consider undertaking a towing course which are offered by various agencies.

Given the amount of caravan crashes recently, police and state roads authorities will be clamping down on overweight trailers and ignorance will not be an excuse.

All drivers, including those towing caravans or campers, need to understand the law and take responsibility for their actions.

If you are unsure of how much your caravan and car weigh, drop into a weighing specialist and have it weighed correctly or drop into one of the free caravan weights days being held around the far north in the coming months.

Remember the following when travelling on roads in far north Queensland:

●  Dust can limit your visibility. If necessary, pull over, stop and wait for the dust to settle. Don’t forget to turn your lights on so other vehicles can see you.

●  When driving on country or remote roads, remember to keep an eye out for livestock and wildlife on the side of the road, especially at night.

●  We have road trains that can be up to 53.5 metres long (four trailers) and you will need to allow enough time to overtake safely, remembering to maintain your speed after doing so.

●  Also, if you observe a road train coming towards you, you should slow down and/or stop after moving as far left as safe to do so, so the road train is able to stay on the hard surface of the road, as small shifts in weight can cause them to roll over.

●  Don't forget heavy vehicles can take up to 600 meters to stop and require more room when turning, so don't weave or cut in front of them.

●  If you have a UHF installed, please use channel 40 so you can communicate with other road users, and they can communicate with you without having to change channels.

●  Please remember to show as much driving etiquette as you can to other road users while enjoying your holidays.

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