Caravans in traffic crashes : TARU 5/74

From time-to-time, questions arise regarding the role played in traffic crashes by caravans towed by cars or car-derived vehicles (station wagons, utilities, panel vans). It has been suggested that towed caravans may constitute an undue hazard to other road users and that therefore special restrictions should be placed on usage of these vehicles. Such restrictions may, for example, be in the form of special licensing requirements, vehicle/caravan combination design requirements or speed limits. This paper sets out to examine the involvement of towed caravans in traffic crashes in New South Wales and to consider variously proposed countermeasures.