Interesting article - your thoughts.......?????

[bigcol]

I have read this 3 times today - and it got me thinking.......

what are others thoughts on this....
http://www.caravancampingsales.com....b848&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=Read more

 

[acmackie]

I would like to see some evidence that caravans are involved in high number of significant accidents before agreeing to something like this. I expect most accidents involving caravans would be minor such as scratch side due to take corners tight. Sure some might be big but are they out of proportion to nom caravan accidents?

 

[dagree]

Have read that one twice also and not sure if a separate license as such would make any difference..... Just have to look at some of the "so called" licensed car drivers on the road!!!!!!

I would agree to a compulsory towing training session/course if brought in.... Not just for caravaners but ALL trailers over a certain weight limit.

 

[bigcol]

I somewhat agree, but then I mainly disagree with this
unfortunately, I have met a few like their subject on the road - The man retires from a people-managing role in a trade or business workplace and after realising he can’t impose his authority -

who "know all, have done all"
I like to work on the "learn something new each day" premise
I can see that their subject will be a danger to all on the road...............

 

[bigcol]

but then, there IS a small minority of people who have NEVER towed a trailer in their life - who when they retire, go out and buy the "Palace of their dreams" to travel the country side
I would suggest that over 1/2 of that group recognizes that they dont have the necessary skills, and ask for information and help.........

I agree @dagree so what if they have a license.........,
why do we have so many problems on the road, when everyone is "helpful, curtious, and friendly" ask them and they will all tell you, its not them, its the other tosser.......

 

[Smergen]

Hmm... I reckon I'd go for it. I believe it's too easy to get a licence these days, and that a lot of young people don't respect the responsibility (insert gross generalisation here...). So anything that promotes driver education generally as a concept gets my support.

But I feel with licencing rules, it might push people away from the Caravanning industry which isn't possibly what we want to do.

One thing I know though, and this applies for all rules and regulations across all aspects of life and community. There will always be idiots. There will always be people who care naught for the rules. Dropping the alcohol limit to 0 away from 0.05 and it won't stop the idiots being drunk and driving. It will just restrict those who respect the law further. Speed limits don't stop hoons. So having these rules and licencing won't necessarily stop people overloading and over-modding their vans and cars. So does it really change that much?

So I'll sit on the fence on this one, and lean towards supporting the licencing conditionally.

And for the record, before we loaded up our van to the Pajernero for the first time, I'd never towed anything nearly as big. I'd never owned a 4WD. And there is plenty I didn't and still don't know about it. So I am definitely one of these "noobs". But I also have driven as lot as a courier in a wide range of conditions and driven across most parts of this country. I also put my family in the car with me and if I feel I wasn't educated or skilled enough to safely handle our car and van, you have my guarantee I wouldn't be on the road.

I look forward to watching this discussion develop and reading the opinions to hopefully develop and form mine a little more.

 

[dagree]

Well said @Smergen
My take on it, is that it's not licensing or training that is the real answer... It's experience (As for most other things). Even though being experienced will not stop accidents happening I do believe that it will give the individual a better chance of avoiding them. I know of some that have been towing vans almost as long as I've been on this earth (Inserting a "No comment required smilie @bigcol ) and two of them have been unfortunate to have written off their vans.

My start in towing was at the age of 17 (Two weeks after getting my license) towing speedway cars and boats and I still "shudder" at the slightest bit of sway.

I am the same as you and if not confident (Skill is just an advantage) in conditions etc I'll take the easy way out!!!!!

 

[crackacoldie]

I agree with the concept of a caravan licence. If I wish to drive a truck with a mass of 4.5t or greater, then I am expected to have an endorsed licence for that class of vehicle, yet no requirement for a 3t Lamdcruiser with 3.5t of caravan.

I drive a lot of outback roads during the year in the course of my employment (Approx 80000kms per year) and unfortunately see quite a few caravan accidents, most resulting from inexerience, mixed with poor loading and fatigue. The results are much greater than a "Scratch from taking a corner too tight", infact most involving an innocent 3rd party, such as a car coming the other way.

Some generalisations in the above. That's my 2£ worth.

 

[Bluey]

I have a semi licence so any test is welcomed but I do think cars should not be able to drive as far as they like , once over a border cops should be able to say how far have u driven today ? we should have some kind of log book too, but how to police that why can car drivers just drive until they fall asleep ? some people just carnt drive long distances . my 2 shillings

 

[davemc]

We did a towing course mainly to get a handle on reversing.
I can see the pros and cons although you can hire a trailer very easy so do they do it on weight or size.
We drive pretty carefully as four young ones in the car, although the number of idiots who need to get past us.
Wonder if they should get a license on how to over take.
The point is an idiot is a idiot the course we did would probably class as enough, yes we learnt things although we still struggle to reverse

 

[Smergen]

Wonder if they should get a license on how to over take.

If they can get people to learn how to merge properly while we're at it, I reckon we'll save quite a few more accidents... at least in Victoria.

 

[Bluey]

We did a towing course mainly to get a handle on reversing.
I can see the pros and cons although you can hire a trailer very easy so do they do it on weight or size.
We drive pretty carefully as four young ones in the car, although the number of idiots who need to get past us.
Wonder if they should get a license on how to over take.
The point is an idiot is a idiot the course we did would probably class as enough, yes we learnt things although we still struggle to reverse

we need to meet in a big carpark or somewhere always relax be gentle on the wheel and have ur misses behind with a hand held two way and not shouting at u so when u carnt see her u can still hear her

 

[dagree]

If they can get people to learn how to merge properly while we're at it, I reckon we'll save quite a few more accidents... at least in Victoria.

Not only in Vic @Smergen

 

[Bluey]

maybe I should have started a post on bad driving or how to fix it we are about to have an election maybe I should start the better driving party and give police power to shoot noob heads at first site

 

[davemc]

we need to meet in a big carpark or somewhere always relax be gentle on the wheel and have ur misses behind with a hand held two way and not shouting at u so when u carnt see her u can still hear her

Thanks @Bluey yes we need to get the sis in law to mind the kids and take off for a half a day.
We are getting better.. It's just when you say the wrong left and 10 secs later you go bugger.
We normally either call each other or leave the tailgate up and talk... Although sometimes some shouting.

Yes when we drove home those who have to overtake, cut you off and then sit on the same speed or less I front off you.

 

[bigcol]

And for the record, before we loaded up our van to the Pajernero for the first time, I'd never towed anything nearly as big. I'd never owned a 4WD. And there is plenty I didn't and still don't know about it. So I am definitely one of these "noobs". But I also have driven as lot as a courier in a wide range of conditions and driven across most parts of this country. I also put my family in the car with me and if I feel I wasn't educated or skilled enough to safely handle our car and van, you have my guarantee I wouldn't be on the road.

here lays what I was saying about the people who ask / read / inform themselves / etc.........

not all people new to Caravaning are "Noobs" @Smergen , you yourself have said you were / are a Courier driver, which is 100% better than the example in the article

 

[bigcol]

Yes when we drove home those who have to overtake, cut you off and then sit on the same speed or less I front off you.

unfortunately, stupidity is not against the Law
nore is it open season on tossers...........

I was driving up Forrest Hwy, from Bunbury to Perth....... it turns into the freeway somewhere along there (but thats besides the point)

here I am, towing my Flamingo with the Cruiser - cruise control set at 105Km (I know - 100Km max towing in WA - shoot me)
sitting nicely at 2000rpm, slowly overtaking the slow ar$e$, and travelling on my merry way

if people were not pulling out in front of me and slowing DOWN to 95 (like they were in their lane)
- because if THEY have to go slow, then so should I........
or
they were sitting behind me tooting for me to get out of the way because I was holding them up from doing the limit (100Kms remember)

I hate most people in cars............

 

[bigcol]

unfortunately, Driver education is the ONLY thing that will work,
but
as my Grand Father once told me

"you can lead a Horse to water
but you cannot make him do a back flip"

took me a few years of thinking about it to know what he was saying

you can educate people all you want
but if they dont understand or dont want to know
they NEVER will...................

 

[bigcol]

we need to meet in a big carpark or somewhere always relax be gentle on the wheel and have ur misses behind with a hand held two way and not shouting at u so when u carnt see her u can still hear her

here here @Bluey
the trick is, as he said, get the missus behind you, so when she says left - her left is your left etc.......
or, if your like me -
give her the hand held, and when she walks away - turn the volume down on the UHF in the car and reverse it my self..........

 

[dagree]

here here @Blueygive her the hand held, and when she walks away - turn the volume down on the UHF in the car and reverse it my self..........

I don't even give Mrs Dagree the handheld anymore..... Just tell her to go meet the new neighbours and then back in hoping I remember where the trees etc are!!!!