Road safety push for caravanners ahead of Australian summer

The Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) is getting behind a road safety campaign to help remind Australians of important safety tips ahead of the country’s busy summer holiday period. The ‘Caravan & Camping Safety Campaign’ runs through all of November and is designed to help Australians thinking of caravanning or camping over the summer to take personal responsibility for their safety and others. There are approximately 840,000 registered RVs in Australia and camping holidays are increasing in popularity with each passing year – the CIAA estimates than more than 14 million nights and 4 million camping trips will take place across the country during its summer.

CIAA chief executive officer, Stuart Lamont, said “Caravan and camping is a great activity enjoyed by many millions of Australians and in particular over the summer break.  Importantly we want to see all those who go caravan and camping over the upcoming holidays, not only have a great time while at their destination, but also return home safely.

“Getting to your destination safely is only one part of the safety discussion. Caravan Parks across the country provide a safe, family friendly and exceptional holiday experience, however, with the number of campers choosing to spend their holidays in parks we’re reminding holidaymakers to remember the importance of pool safety and shared spaces within caravan holiday parks.”

The latest research in Australia suggests that:

  • 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.
  • Whilst 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%) followed by angle collision i.e. turning (14%) and losing control (13%)
  • Over 330 Australian’s lost their lives in drowning incidents last year, with double that estimated to have suffered serious non-fatal drowning incidents

Caravan Industry Association of Australia has developed in partnership with other state caravan associations, professional service providers and other relevant bodies such as the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and Queensland Trucking Association, free to access consumer digital and print educational assets. This information will be presented using easy to digest videos, engaging online quizzes and written content across email, social media, and digital platforms. Each year tens of thousands of handbooks are distributed free of charge.

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