QLD leads the way with over 1000 vehicle safety inspections

A recent Channel 7’s news report marked the 1000th vehicle safety inspection conducted by Caravanning QLD, with state Member for Murrumba Chris Whiting MP and Caravan Industry Association of Australia CEO Stuart Lamont witnessing the milestone.

The aim of the activity is to inform and educate caravan, camper trailer, motorhome and other recreational vehicle owners on correct loading of vehicles to ensure they are not at risk of being overweight, as well as to ensure that all gas fit-outs are compliant and safe and remind owners of safety standards when towing their vehicle.

The Channel 7 report illustrated to consumers the need for safety checks and increased understanding on weight capacity for towing safely with many unaware that packing everything including the kitchen sink in their caravan could, in fact, make their vehicle unroadworthy.

With over twenty-nine Safety Check Days events held throughout QLD, which has the highest population of caravan owners in Australia, there is a huge demand for this service. The events book out well in advance thanks to the qualified inspectors who focus on educating owners on any breaches, rather than issuing fines on the day. They also have access to service providers who can perform upgrades or fix some concerns on the spot.

The Queensland program helps to educate and inform consumers on matters of road safety. The inspections address matters such as weight limitations, how to properly load their vehicles and help consumers to safely enjoy their holidays. Most importantly they can develop an understanding that an overweight vehicle on the road may lead to an unroadworthy vehicle and invalidate their insurance.

While this program has operated for a long time in Queensland, other states have recently expanded to provide vehicle safety inspection programs as a service to educate owners and improve caravan and motorhome safety on Australia’s roads.  Recently, Vic Trade held their first vehicle inspection day at Leisurefest which reviewed 30 vans and NSW is also planning to implement a similar program.