Well , I heard it anyway on local talkback radio here in Perth our road safety commissioner announcing a major review of caravan and caravaners safety standards in the wake of a fatality on the midwest coast recently .
There is to be a coronial inquest which has similar powers to a royal commission and hopefully changes to standards and operator requirements after that .
Bit of luck some good will come from this tragedy which from all accounts was a particularly gruesome event .
It's NOT so much the safety of build with MOST of them.
MORE the experience, or LACK OF experience of the drivers behind the wheels.
How many do you read. Where the wife took over the wheel "for a while"
and lost it.
BOTH have to be informed and given training b4 driving these rigs.
I still reckon. EVERYbody with a van over say.. 18ft 6in.
Should have a light truck licence at least.
BOTH of them.
A lot of short tray Semi's are shorter than that rig, combined with 4wd Ute.
At least, that way.
they've had some professional training, and hrs logged behind the wheel.
MAKE people realise the responsibilities of these things on the road.
A lot of old farts do. Just jump behind the wheel of a larger than they used to tug
With a caravan MUCH larger\Longer than the 6x4 they used to.
Being old and retired. with a lifetime of driving cars in towns. Mainly.
Does NOT negate anybody.
From the responsibilities to other people on the roads, Safety.
while in vicinity of you and yours.
As I've said for yrs. And been objected to for it.
Quite vehemently at times too.
Nobody should be allowed to drive rigs WITHOUT at least a coupla lessons
from experienced persons.
It MAKES ALL with any amount of brain retention. safer on the roads.
Just a certtificate to carry with licence. or endorsement ON licence.
Would be fine.
And Hopefully get rid of some. of the accidents happening with vans recently.
MORE. BIGGER vans. with MORE LESS EXPERIENCED driver behind the wheels.
Yeh , this particular incident tho was about the build of the vans as well and hence the inquest is going to focus on all aspects .
They are reluctant to talk about the exact details of this crash publicly because its just to gruesome , but they have said that parts came off one van that caused the death directly , otherwise all involved should have survived the crash .
The driver in a SUV who died was on the wrong side of the road, crossed over double white lines. The lady who was towing the van took evasive action and headed of the road to miss him. He still hit the side of her car and demolished her van. A piece of splintered wood from the van hit him in the head and killed him. It was pretty gruesome according to the reports. HE was in the wrong and it appears that the caravanner is being blamed!!
No mention of the Asian family involved except to say they were tourists.
If he's dumb enuff to cross the lines and run into a caravan.
Which then reacts, and spits a bit of it's timber frame at him.
HE is wrong.
There are two things coming into phase there.
Unless a flat tyre, etc. Caused him to.
ONE he was driving too fast on wrong side of road. and TWO.
the van was just fighting back.
Wouldn't you.
European\US. Not used to our side of road.
Or Overtired and didn't stop when sensibly should have.
Either way.
Sorry mate. No Sympathy here.
Pull over are to reduce that sort of thing.
A log book. By Law, that has to be shown to Mr Bobby man.
May be a good idea these days Methink's.
ALL truckie's have to cover for every minute behind the wheel.
And They trained with the hrs up. To do this job.
With the size and weights of what a lot of us towing nowadays. So Should we.
Responsibility for your actions It's called, I believe.
