By Chuck Woodbury
editor, RVtravel.com
This was originally published in January, 2012
There was a terrible traffic accident last week. A rented motorhome with 13 people on board blew a tire and then veered off the highway into a tree. Two people were killed and nine injured. Two of the passengers were thrown from the vehicle.
The group was headed to the BCS Championship football game in New Orleans.
For all those people and their families, this was horrible, a nightmare. I feel terribly sad for all of them.
But I am also a little angry — because whoever organized this trip did not pay attention to the safety issues of carrying that many people in a single RV. How many seat belts do you suppose were available? Maybe six? But no way were there 13! And how much did all those people weigh? How much of their own stuff did they pack along? I bet a lot! I’m guessing the motorhome was overloaded. That’s asking for trouble.
NO WAY SHOULD ANY MOTORHOME ever carry 13 people! My guess is that most of those on board never considered weight issues or that there were not enough seat belts. So, as they traveled down the highway, probably laughing and having a great time, a front tire blew, and a few seconds later, mayhem! So sad. But so preventable. . .
Have you ever wondered why we harp so often about safety issues in the RV Travel Newsletter? That accident is why. Part of our mission is to let our readers know that RVs, which mostly bring us great happiness, can turn into weapons if we aren’t careful. They can kill us, our families, our friends, and innocent people who are at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Do yourself a big favor and visit Walter Cannon’s website RVsafety.com. Read the articles there. Bookmark the site. Attend one of the non-profit organization’s conferences. And watch this video, too, which shows how to react if you blow a front tire (in an RV or any other vehicle). Maybe what you learn will save your life and/or the lives of others.
Be smart! Be careful! Be safe!
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