Recreational vehicles (RVs) are an ideal vacation solution for those who want to travel the country after retirement and/or have large families. RVs can keep families together and give them control over many aspects of their travels.
Sadly, collisions involving RVs are often some of the worst wrecks that occur on modern roads. Not only will a crash in an RV completely derail someone’s vacation, but it will likely lead to injuries and massive property damage expenses.
Why are RV collisions so common and often so serious?
Safety standards for RVs aren’t as high
Vehicles intended for daily driving are subject to very rigorous safety testing. They need to meet certain standards to even be out on the road, and consumers often purchase Vehicles based on how well they perform on certain types of crash tests. Unfortunately, there is far less safety testing required for RVs than there is for traditional vehicles. Additionally, their overall design often means they don’t hold up as well when a crash occurs, which means that the people inside could end up severely injured.
Size differences worsen collisions
Although RVs are not very safe in the event of a wreck, they can still cause catastrophic damage to smaller vehicles. The bigger the difference in size between two vehicles, the more likely the smaller vehicle is to suffer catastrophic damages. RV may not be drivable or even salvageable after a wreck, but the same could very easily be true of the smaller vehicle involved in the collision.
Vacation driving may lead to dangerous habits
When people are on a deadline during a cross-country drive or even simply taking an RV to a popular theme park, they may feel pressured to continue driving until they reach a certain location. People may drive when they feel absolutely fatigued or when they recognize that they may be falling ill because they are desperate to get home. They may also drive while drunk or hungover, as over-consuming alcohol is often part of people’s vacation plans.
Those that understand that there are certain risks involved when traveling in an RV can potentially make better choices for their own safety and the well-being of others on the roads. If an RV collision does occur, the parties involved may need to pursue a lawsuit, as the cost of repairing an RV and addressing the injuries from the crash might be far beyond what someone’s insurance will pay.
Understanding the risks inherent in an RV collision scenario can be important both for those who own an RV themselves and who intend to travel on weekends when there will likely be a high number of RVs on the road. This kind of understanding can inform an individual’s travel-related approaches and help them to (very hopefully) avoid an injurious wreck.