Friday, September 30, 2016

Why The Law Should Require Bus Driving School To Operate An RV

By David Howard


For generations, the dream of selling the house and hitting the road in a large RV or Winnebago has held the hopes of many couples. While this is an excellent way to approach retirement, there is a dark side to this dream. With most people having experienced nothing larger than a minivan, they really need to go to bus driving school before they set out on the open road.

Accidents in recreational vehicles such as the Winnebago are usually minor and occur in parking lots. These small fender-benders are uniquely expensive when one is driving their entire house all over the country. Many of the mishaps that occur can be avoided with proper training in how to handle turns, backing up, and even parallel parking their monstrosity.

Many truck drivers can relate stories of accidents they have witnessed over the years, especially where recreational vehicles are concerned. Much like a boat, motorcycle, or motor scooter, a Winnebago is not made to be wrecked ever. There is no real safety standard, and the habit many people have of allowing family members and pets to travel freely in the motor home is discouraged.

In-town driving has a unique set of risks associated with untrained drivers. Pedestrians are easily missed by the driver if he or she is not adequately trained in how the utilize the mirrors or navigation system in the vehicle. These vehicles make extremely wide turns and maneuverability is even further confined in a crowded parking lot, which is exactly where pedestrians are in the most peril.

City buses and tractor trailers have nothing on a Winnebago for size and awkwardness on the highway. Many of these rolling mansions come complete with a patio awning, luggage wrack, bicycle transporter, and car trailer. Take all of that onto some roadways few people have ever seen, and you have the all-American vacation disaster waiting to happen.

Allow our elderly parents and grandparents on a tour bus with an unlicensed or untrained driver, and chances are someone will be prosecuted. Then we think we, or our parents themselves, can get behind the wheel of the biggest thing on the road without a problem. The fact is, special licensing requirements simply make good sense, no matter what state you live in.

An RV accident can certainly ruin any family vacation, and it can easily result in serious injuries or fatalities. Requiring licensing to operate a Winnebago could help prevent many of these accidents. It is unfortunate that many of those injured in such a wreck are children, due to the perspective that a child can ride loose in the motor home.

While some people might want to complain about the requirement of specialized license, there is precedent for this. No one is allowed to drive anything over a 49cc motor scooter without having a proper motorcycle license, as well as insurance and a tag for the vehicle. No one should be able to put their family into one of these land yachts without some sort of basic training requirement.




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