Caravanners in Leeton and Narrandera will be offered free road safety and caravanning advice at a series of caravan weighing days held on 18 & 19 May 2024 at the Leeton Pool car park on Palm Avenue.
Leeton Shire Council, Narrandera Shire Council and Transport for NSW will co-host the caravan weighing days alongside "Your Weigh Mobile Vehicle Weighing" to educate caravanners about correctly calculating their caravan's weight, how to load their caravan for even weight distribution, safe driving tips while towing, and ways to reduce the risk of being involved in a crash.
Leeton Shire Council's Road Safety Officer, Steph Puntoriero, said that as caravanning has grown in popularity, so did the need to ensure caravans were being operated safely.
"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," Mrs Puntoriero explained.
"An incorrectly loaded caravan can lead to snaking, swaying or loss of control of your caravan and vehicle.
"We welcome the owners of registered caravans to come forward in Leeton to learn some vital tips that could save lives.
"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," Mrs Puntoriero said.
"As part of our free weighing days, owners can calculate 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.
"These days are a great opportunity to learn more about your caravan and more about safe driving for the benefit of everyone on the road."
