Wide Load Education
The Wide Load campaign is aimed at educating Bowen Basin road users to the correct procedures when an oversize load escort vehicle approaches. These loads can exceed ten metres wide and occupy the entire road width, making it important for motorists to know how to respond when they come across them. Not responding appropriately is unlawful and can have dangerous consequences.
The 2021/2022 iteration of the Wide Load Education campaign saw RAAG volunteers distribute over 300 posters around the Bowen Basin and Mackay region. The posters were hung up at rest areas, caravan parks and tourist centres from Rockhampton up to Bowen, and West of Mackay. The response from caravan parks and tourist information centres was positive and helped to spread awareness of the message. In addition to the physical posters being handed out, RAAG reached out to caravan hire & sales companies and emailed a digital copy of the poster/flyer to hand out with their hire/sales packages. This will hopefully reach those coming through the area, especially during the peak tourist season.
RAAG has also recently recieved funding from the Glencore, Hail Creek Community Program to install permanent signs at strategic rest areas throughout the region. These signs will help reinforce the message and alert more road users on how to respond to Wide Loads. These will be installed in the coming months, so if you travelling in the area, keep an eye out for them!
The understanding that these oversize loads are the lifeblood of the region, and that added time should be taken into account when planning a trip. Fatigue management, removal of stress and frustration due to delays by wide load movements is important to factor in as well.
Tips for Travellers:
- If towing vans in the Bowen Basin, a very good idea is to monitor channel 40 this will give a good warning of size of wide loads approaching.
- If a police escort vehicle is approaching, quickly find a place to stop this is a seriously wide load approaching, beware of soft shoulders on the roadside.
Click here to download a free pdf of our A4 poster
If you would like more information or to be involved, please contact or follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more road safety tips.
Thanks for funding support for the permanent signs:
