When you spend time on the roads and highways in your RV, travel trailer or camper, safety may not be the top priority on your list. But, to guarantee a safe arrival at your destination and the assurance of the good memories a trip will bring, safety should not be an afterthought. Thankfully, making safe vehicles is a priority for RV manufacturers and industry associations.
“RV are classified as vehicles just like automobiles, so they are required to meet the applicable Department of Transportation (DOT) NHTSA Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) just as cars are,” Kent Perkins, Senior Director of Standards at the RV Industry Association, explained. “In addition, states have regulations relating to safety issues.”
These regulations deal with a number of issues, including auxiliary lighting, driver’s license requirements, safety glass, seat belts, towing chain specifications, and maximum height, length and height, among others. Ten states place additional requirements on drivers of some RV models.
Depending on the class, model and manufacturer, some safety features are either already built in, such as rearview cameras, or are expected to be included in future models. According to an article for Consumer Reports, Ford is planning to provide automatic emergency braking and lane departure warnings among other features for its 2020 line of powertrains and platforms for Class C RVs.
Other manufacturers have already incorporated features that improve vehicle and passenger safety. Mercedes-Benz provides these as standard equipment on its driving compartment chassis. For the Class B, safety features common to all makes include stability control and front airbags, but Mercedes also includes blind spot warning, front collision warning and lane keeping assist. Multiple seatbelts and side and airbags are also found in Class B’s according to Consumer Reports.
Aftermarket safety features, such as a forward collision warning system that is not available on all RVs, is one option to improve passenger safety.
But safety also comes into play as the RVs and travel trailers are being built in factories. Perkins said his organization take steps to make sure its members are complying with established industry standards.
“The RV Industry Association maintains an inspection program where every RVIA RV-OEM member is subject to unannounced inspections at each production facility on average every eight weeks to monitor member compliance against the adopted RV standards,” Perkins said.
Safety and standards are constantly being reviewed and revised as needed. One example Perkins offered was RVIA’s Ad Hoc Technical Groups who have recently met “to study both the solar and lithium technology that is growing in demand and products that can be installed in RVs,” Perkins said. “RVIA is establishing an Emerging Technology Committee to study and assure we stay ahead of the curve on all new and advances in all technologies.”
The association also hosts seminars, produces and posts webinars, publishes news bulletins and creates educational training videos to educate plant production personnel on safety standards. It also works with federal agencies, such as the Compliance, Safety and Accountability office with the Department of Transportation, the American National Standards Institute and the National Fire Prevention Association, on topics related to safety and uniformity in industry standards and state and federal regulations.
“RVIA requires listing agencies who list RV products to qualify every three years to assure they are meeting the minimum safety criteria in order test and evaluate products,” Perkins said.
But it is also up to the RV owner to make safety a priority. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in 2012 75,000 injuries occurred to passengers or drivers from RV accidents and an estimated 26 people die on average in accidents involving an RV.
Insurance companies who process property damage claims cite the main reasons for accidents include driver error due to inexperience, speeding, fatigued drivers, high winds, rollovers because of a higher center of gravity, the inability to see vehicles in the blind spot, and failing to adhere to weight limits. Other accident-causing situations include tire blowouts, propane fires, clearance errors, and pest infestations that damage wires and mechanisms.
Experts suggest that owners conduct safety checks periodically, but especially at the start of camping season. Buying better quality tires is also a suggestion to eliminate the potential for blowouts. Taking time to get familiar with the rig can reduce the chances of a novice RVer having a bad experience or causing harm to himself or others on the road. They also suggest that RV owners know their rig’s height and weight restrictions.
While the consumer cannot control the safety standards used in the manufacture of their RV, owners can take steps to make sure their RV is maintained and they are up to speed concerning the RV’s operation. The RV Safety & Education Foundation is one organization that helps owners learn the best ways to minimize safety risks when enjoying the call of the road.
For example, the RV Safety and Education Foundation website, offers training, articles and videos that focus on educating the RV owner on important safety issues, such as proper weight, tips to prevent distracted driving and proper towing procedures. They also offer conferences in which consumers can learn from industry experts on a variety of topics. RVSEF estimates that more than 100,000 RVers and RV enthusiasts have benefited from the annual seminars held at rallies, dealer shows and industry events as well as the organization’s education and safety conference
Just like cars, recreational vehicles are subject to the same consumer recalls, Perkins said. The RVSEF lists current recalls on its website. Some recent recalls listed on the site include manufacturer recalls for tires, interior fascia installation problems and a recall on fire extinguishers.