Road safety tips for your self-drive holiday

Hitting the open road is a fantastic way to see Australia. At Let’s Go Motorhomes, we offer luxury campervans and motorhomes that are your home on wheels. With all the creature comforts you might need for a self-drive holiday, you’ll never go back to hotel rooms.

However, as with all travel options, it is so important to think about safety. That’s why we’ve collated some of the best tips and tricks to consider making your next motorhome adventure a safe one.

Keeping safe in your Let’s Go Motorhome

When you first pick up your RV, your friendly Let’s Go representative will take you through all the necessary safety features and must do’s for safe enjoyment of your chosen motorhome or campervan, however, some of the key things to remember are:

• Be very aware of the height of your chosen vehicle. It is also important to avoid low hanging tree branches in camp grounds and shopping centre car parks where possible as these can cause a lot of damage. To help alleviate trips to the supermarket, we offer Coles Grocery Delivery straight to your vehicle, ready to go when you collect it.
• Always remember to lower your TV antenna before taking off to your next destination. Most of the Let’s Go Motorhomes have a TV and the antenna on the roof is raised by a manual handle. The antenna must be lowered before travel otherwise you run the risk of it breaking off whilst driving.
• Always turn off the gas bottles before travel. Having gas in the lines whilst driving is a safety risk that you don’t want to take.
• If the weather turns and the wind picks up, make sure you retract the awning. The awning that comes with your motorhome is great as a sunshade and will provide shelter for you in light rains, but in high winds it can turn into a large unwanted sail and cause damage to the van or you – it’s a motorhome and not a yacht after all!
• Make sure all your belongings and travel gear are safely packed away when driving to avoid objects flying around the van – especially if an accident occurs. This seems an obvious one, but all worth the extra care.
• While driving, only sit in the seats that have seatbelts. There will be a temptation to stretch out on the bed in the back of your van during a journey from campsite to campsite, but this is a huge no no as the risk of injury if an accident occurs is high.

Road rules and road safety

When it comes to hitting the road, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to road safety:

• It is important to be across the local road rules, especially if you’re a visitor in Australia. We recommend looking at the Australian Government Road Rules website to check the rules in the state you are travelling.
• Try not to travel at dusk or dawn. As well as the sun providing a distraction, animals such as kangaroos and foxes tend to patrol the road, which can lead to accidents.
• Take a break every few hours. One of the biggest causes of accidents on Aussie roads is drowsy drivers. If you can’t take a break, ensure you swap drivers to reduce fatigue.
• Never ever drive on a flooded road. Even if you think the road is OK, if you can’t see it, don’t drive on it.
• When driving on unsealed or one lane roads, always slow down. Even if you’re a confident driver, motorhomes and campervans are much larger than a car, so do move a lot more if breaking quickly.

We hope these handy tips help you enjoy your next Let’s Go Motorhomes adventure. Happy travels!