Michael McGuire: Why compulsory driver training is needed to tow caravans

Criticising being stuck behind slow-moving caravanners is a dangerous manoeuvre – ironic given that is their specialty, writes Michael McGuire. This is why it’s time for van towing lessons.

Been out and about on country roads recently. Driven to Port Pirie, Port Augusta, even Bendigo.

A road trip is a wonderful thing, especially when you spend most of your life in the city. Hitting the open road, stopping in towns you have never heard of, sampling local bakeries.

Really, there’s only one thing that spoils the mood.

And that is cruising slowly up behind a line-up of other travellers who are stuck behind a swaying caravan that is travelling 20km/h below the speed limit.

As you approach, you can almost feel the waves of annoyance sweeping back from the drivers in front as they duck in and out, looking for a safe passing space. And if you are especially unlucky, you will find yourself behind a mini convoy of caravans.

Is there a collective noun for a bunch of caravans all in a row? Maybe an exasperation of caravans?

It’s a frustration that will unquestionably be shared by tens of thousands of South Australians this week as they travel all over the state during the school holidays.

Emergency crews were called to Babbacombe Drive in Moana in the city's south on July 17 after the driver towing the van misjudged a turn. Picture: Nine News

Now, I understand, criticising caravanners is a dangerous manoeuvre, which is ironic really, as that is their specialty. All the way back in 2006 I ventured a similar opinion. Dear God, the reaction.

Nothing I have written before or since, not even about climate change, renewable energies, why right-wing snowflakes hate freedom of speech, refugees, even killing off Port Adelaide Magpies has generated such anger. Talk about road rage. All sorts of threats and insults were made.

Many decided I must be some sort of terrible hoon, driving around in a souped-up speed machine just because I referred to caravans and campervans as “slow-moving death traps’’. And made the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that a caravan curfew be imposed to limit their use of roads to between 11pm and 5am. Actually, that’s not a bad idea.

And because this was an age before the paper had a decent website and before social media, most of the ire came directly through emails and phone calls.

To pre-empt that line of attack this time, I would just like to point out it’s been almost 30 years since my last speeding fine and the car I spend most of my time in is a Subaru Forester. Daniel Ricciardo I am not.

There are now almost 55,000 caravans registered in SA.

But back then there were only about 30,000 registered caravans in SA. Now there are almost 55,000. And that number is growing.

When the ABS released some of its 2021 census data, it found almost 60,000 Australians were living in caravans on the night of the survey.

Now, these are not all grey nomads and leisure seekers. The housing crisis has forced too many people into temporary accommodation.

But there is also a trend that accelerated during Covid-19 that saw increasing numbers of people pack in their normal lives and decide they wanted to see as much of Australia as possible. Slowly.

With international travel off the cards, more took holidays within our borders. To some extent that’s all understandable. Who doesn’t want to take the time to look around Australia? And, it’s a fad that does bring a lot of money into regional towns, so good for them.

But as more and more of these contraptions hit the road, they will increasingly be guided by inexperienced drivers. This can’t be a good idea.

Young drivers rightly endure a rigorous education process before they are allowed to drive by themselves on SA roads. Professional drivers also have to be taught new skills as they move up through various classes of vehicles, whether that be bus drivers or B-doubles.

So, why are caravan owners exempt? Why would you allow someone who has never driven something more complicated than a family sedan to suddenly attach a two-tonne weight to the back of the car?

High winds caused this van to flip. Picture: Supplied/Paul Holden Photography

The close cousin of the caravan, the campervan, is also a safety issue. In SA, the average age of these behemoths is more than 20 years. The average age. Which means there are many of an even older vintage.

Back to caravans. It is time to bring in some form of compulsory training for all caravan owners. To teach drivers the best way to keep themselves safe and reduce risks for other road users.

The head of the SA Road Transport Association Steve Shearer believes such a measure should be brought in. No doubt he will raise this with the state government next time they catch up.

But his members see the effects of poorly trained, inexperienced caravan towers every day.

“If we’re serious about road safety then we need to ensure that people are appropriately competent for each class of vehicles that they’re operating,’’ is Mr Shearer’s reasonable point. “A car or a four-wheel drive pulling a large caravan is essentially a different class of vehicle than just driving the car.’’

He’s right. More and more of these things are on their way to spoil your next country drive. The least that should be expected is that the drivers are competent to handle them.