Caravan owners in the Riverina Murray region of NSW are being invited to sign-up for a free weigh and safety check next month.
Transport for NSW will host the safety information days at Hay, Deniliquin and Wagga Wagga to educate caravanners about calculating their caravan’s weight, loading their caravan for even weight distribution, safe driving tips while towing and ways to reduce the risk of being involved in a crash.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said the Riverina and Murray are popular regions for caravanners in the south west of our state.
“The purpose of these events is to address caravan safety, particularly as we get closer to the Easter break and see an increase in caravans travelling our roads, including the Sturt Highway,” the spokesperson said.
“Owners of registered caravans are encouraged to come along to learn more about their caravan and more about safe towing and driving practices.”
The spokesperson said driving while towing a caravan is a different experience to normal driving and requires a higher level of knowledge and skill, a need for greater stopping distances, and consideration of environmental factors such as high winds, wet roads and uneven surfaces.
“Simple things like adding a toolbox to the back of the van, popping a kayak on the roof or travelling with full water tanks can cause the caravan, tow vehicle or combination to become overweight or non-compliant and may increase the risk of a crash,” the spokesperson said.
“An incorrectly loaded caravan can lead to snaking, swaying or loss of control of your caravan and vehicle.
“As part of our free weighing days, owners can learn the actual aggregate trailer mass (ATM) of their caravan, actual gross trailer mass (GTM), actual gross vehicle mass (GVM), actual ball weight and actual gross combination mass (GCM) of their caravan and vehicle.”
The event includes an informal education session before each loaded vehicle and caravan is placed on portable scales to confirm weight and a detailed report is provided to participants.
The caravan weighing days will be from 8.30am to 3.30pm at:
- Hay: Tuesday, March 11, Hay Park on Morgan Street. Bookings: https://forms.office.com/r/gyNVPUgVkQ
- Deniliquin: Wednesday 12 and Thursday March 13, Deniliquin Sports Stadium Carpark, Cemetery Road. Bookings: https://forms.office.com/r/7mBpnRdxGc
- Wagga Wagga: Saturday 15 and Sunday, March 16, Cross Street Carpark. Bookings: https://forms.office.com/r/SQD0x8pFQY