GORV - Digital Magazine Issue #11 | Page 8

RV OPINION "DRIVE ATTITUDES ARE FORMED BY THREE THINGS: PATIENCE, TOLERANCE AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING." Among those at the forefront is the Facebook group Everything Caravan and Camping, which has held a number of free RV safety checks where RVs of all types are checked by qualified staff for gas, electrical and towing compliance. “Our safety days are about educating RV owners in all aspects of vanning, from hitching up to towing, understanding the relevant weights, and making sure their van, whether it’s a caravan, motorhome or fifth wheeler, is safe and compliant,” Matt Sutton of Everything Caravan and Camping said. “The idea that caravanners are 8 gorv.com.au a danger on our roads, like what we’ve seen recently on TV, is a simplistic and unfair generalisation that throws a shadow over an entire way of life.” The Australian Caravan Club, meanwhile, has announced that educating RVers on safe driving practices would form part of its Focus 2018 policy. “Our policy team is already heavily engaged in developing a ‘Sharing the Road’ Code of Conduct with a major trucking industry peak body,” club chairman Craig Humphrey said. “Our team is also finalising education tools in conjunction with the Caravan Council of Australia for use by RVers when selecting tow vehicles and caravans. These tools are designed to be used as a guide towards having a combination that is 100 per cent legally compliant regarding masses and ratings.” These are just two examples of grassroots efforts to improve road safety for RVers and, by extension, all motorists. Including truck drivers. But they are unsexy. They lack dramatic moments captured on film. And for that reason, it’s unlikely you’ll hear about them on programs such as A Current Affair.