{"id":8767,"date":"2020-12-12T13:31:28","date_gmt":"2020-12-12T12:31:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=8767"},"modified":"2020-12-12T13:31:28","modified_gmt":"2020-12-12T12:31:28","slug":"drivers-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/12\/12\/drivers-6\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharing the road with inexperienced RV drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on many parts of the travel industry. Airline travel is down approximately 75% in the U.S. and hotel occupancy this June was nearly 42% vs. 73% last year Instead of flying to a destination and renting a hotel room, many vacationers are opting for an RV – RV sales and rentals are booming. After taking a plunge with the broader market at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., stocks of the largest RV manufacturers have bounced back triple digits. Shares of Thor Industries and Winnebago \u2014 the two biggest names in RVs and motor homes \u2014 have shot up more than 170% and 240%, respectively, from their March lows.<\/span><\/p>\n

RV travel makes a lot of sense during these times. It limits the exposure to larger groups in confined areas that comes with air travel and lowers the risk of surface contact with the virus in public areas such as in a hotel. It is also a great way for the family to be together and experience the outdoors. It certainly does seem like RV travel may be a safer way to go for the next family vacation when it comes to COVID-19 (disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this should not be construed as medical advice\u2026please consult your physician). What could go wrong?<\/span><\/p>\n

Every summer brings out a new batch of Griswolds driving RV\u2019s. If you don\u2019t get my Griswold reference\u2026please ask your parents for clarification or go immediately to Netflix! And, there are more RV\u2019s on the road than ever this year. These are not experienced truck drivers with CDL\u2019s. Most have little or no prior experience in safely piloting a vehicle as tall and wide as an RV. Too often, this results in a damaged overhang as an RV mistakenly pulls into a fast food drive-thru or a trail of broken side-view mirrors as the oversized vehicle sideswipes a row of parked cars while navigating a narrow roadway.<\/span><\/p>\n

With more than 700,000 vehicles equipped with our video technology and 1.3 million drivers, Lytx is in a unique position to know what\u2019s happening on our roadways. Our clients are receiving numerous reports from their professional drivers about encounters with unsafe RV operators. Some of the more common issues voiced about these drivers are abrupt, unsafe lane changes, misjudgment of vehicle length during a maneuver and RV\u2019s straddling multiple lanes.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what can you do to minimize your risks when encountering an RV? Here are a few tips:<\/span><\/p>\n