One of the most challenging situations on the roads is when a truck catches up behind a van and the van driver on a single lane highway. Some setups limit caravan towing speed and hence a truckie may make the decision to overtake. It may seem like a good idea to slow down to allow the truck to pass but this actually forces the truck to slow down, lose momentum and speed also.
We recommend maintaining your speed and position until the heavy vehicle pulls out to overtake, and if you wish to assist, lift your foot gently off the accelerator. Once the vehicle is safely back on the right side of the road then regain your travelling speed.
Make sure you know what your safe maximum towing speed is and do not exceed this when being overtaken by a truck
Seek professional advice from your manufacturer or towing setup specialist about top towing speed
Maintain speed and do not slow down whilst the truck is beginning to overtake
Consider using UHF to communicate
We would like to acknowledge and credit Whiteline Television as the creator of the videos in conjunction with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle road safety initiative. We appreciate their support and believe Working collaboratively is in the best interest of road and public safety and seeks to reduce competing messages and advise.
Caravanner and RV users in comparison to truck drivers have abundantly more options available to them in regard to fatigue management and where they choose to stop and rest.
Unfortunately, many heavy vehicle drivers, particularly those travelling long distances, are arriving at rest stops only to find Recreational Vehicle (RV) users have taken spaces designated for them, when they could have pre-planned and found a caravan park or one of the many designated areas being provided by councils and towns.
The Co-Exist website is designed to educate, inform and encourage caravanners / RV users to consider pre-planning their rests-stops and fatigue management. The majority of Australians want and intend to do the ‘right thing’ and hopefully keeping this message ‘front of mind’ will remind us that Co-Existing supports safety, our economy and our truck drivers.
This is not to say that caravanners / RV users cannot and should not use rest stops if needed but additionally, many RV users don’t always use rest stops in either a safe manner or in the way that rest stops were intended to be used. Examples include not following the posted signs, thereby blocking areas designated for heavy vehicle drivers or forcing heavy vehicle drivers to unnecessarily reverse their vehicles or manoeuvre around the parking area. Another issue is the parking of RVs in rest stops for far longer than they were envisaged to be used.
Rod Hannifey explains the need to share road side parking bays and their facilities among caravaners, campers and heavy vehicles. Watch this video for some helpful tips and hints on how we can all better CO-Exist and make the roads a safer and happier place.
We would like to acknowledge and credit Whiteline Television as the creator of the videos in conjunction with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle road safety initiative. We appreciate their support and believe Working collaboratively is in the best interest of road and public safety and seeks to reduce competing messages and advise.
Do not follow a heavy vehicle / truck too closely, as you need to see what is ahead to ensure road safety e.g. debris and other cars.
It is important to remember that cars and heavy vehicles / trucks have completely different braking requirements.
Allow for time to stop safely.
The table below shows comparisons of stopping distances for cars and trucks when travelling at the same speeds.
Vehicle Speed
Stopping distance
(metres)
Car
Truck
60km/h
73
83
70km/h
91
105
80km/h
111
130
90km/h
133
156
100km/h
157
185
Table Ref https://www.qld.gov.au
Watch this video, it highlights why trucks need a greater braking distance plus offers best advice.
We would like to acknowledge and credit Whiteline Television as the creator of the videos in conjunction with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle road safety initiative. We appreciate their support and believe Working collaboratively is in the best interest of road and public safety and seeks to reduce competing messages and advise.
November sees the launch of Caravan Industry Association of Australian ‘Caravan / RV Road Safety’ month. In preparation for an expected take up in domestic road trip camping holidays this summer, throughout November education and awareness will be key in preparing Australians to safely enjoy their holidays.
The blind spot diagram, in yellow shade, shows the blind spots are located:
immediately in front of the truck
beside the truck driver’s door
on the passenger side which runs the length of the truck and extends out three lanes
directly behind the truck.
Remember: if you cannot see the truck driver’s mirror, the truck driver cannot see you.
Watch this video, it highlights restrictions regarding blind spots plus offers best advice.
We would like to acknowledge and credit Whiteline Television as the creator of the videos in conjunction with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle road safety initiative. We appreciate their support and believe Working collaboratively is in the best interest of road and public safety and seeks to reduce competing messages and advise.
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