"The TAC's road safety campaigns draw on the best available research to identify the greatest and most prevalent risks to Victorian road users, such as speeding and drink-driving,” lead safety director Samantha Cockfield said. 

VicRoads has also been contacted for comment.

EARLIER: CORONER Audrey Jamieson has recommended the TAC and VicRoads consider a public awareness campaign highlighting the dangers of towing an overloaded trailer following a fatal crash at Runnymede.

In her findings into the crash on December 16, 2016, the coroner also recommended the authorities consider any changes to driver licensing training that might include towing techniques.

Leongatha resident Jennifer May Teague died of injuries she sustained as a passenger in one of two vehicles involved in the crash on the Northern Highway.

The car in which she was travelling – a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta sedan – was bound for Echuca for a family Christmas gathering.

Her brother, John Teague, and his wife, Jeanette Teague, were also in the vehicle when the crash occurred. 

The second vehicle in the collision was a 2014 Toyota Landcruiser Prado, which contained five passengers under the age of 16.

The Prado was towing a twin axle tandem trailer containing a Toyota Hilux, a three-wheeled motorbike, a large metal toolbox and two red gum sleepers.

According to the coroner, driver of the Prado – Kerrie Dehne – encountered difficulty after the vehicle’s steering wheel started to ‘shudder and shake’ while crossing Mt Pleasant Creek bridge about 3.10pm.

The Prado crossed into the lane of oncoming traffic, narrowly avoiding a truck.

“Jeanette [the driver of the Jetta] was approaching the bridge when she saw the Prado coming from the opposite direction,” the coroner wrote in her findings.

“She noticed that the trailer was ‘fish tailing’ as the Prado passed the truck, and so she slowed down.

“Suddenly, the Prado swerved in front of the Jetta.”

Ms Jamieson found that Jeanette had no time to avoid a collision.

“The Jetta struck the Prado heavily on the passenger side,” her findings said.

“The trailer and load disconnected from the Prado due to the force of the collision and rolled into and over the Jetta, causing the Jetta to flip onto its roof.

“The Prado continued off the western side of the road and onto the grassy verge, where its driver’s side struck a large gum tree.

“The Hilux came off the trailer and rolled several times before coming to rest on its roof on the western side of the road, while the trailer flipped and landed upside down on the eastern side of the road.”

Jennifer died at the scene, having sustained multiple injuries.

She was 68 years old.

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Jennifer was in a rear passenger seat at the time of the crash. Jeanette and John, who were in the front seats, were able to exit the vehicle with the assistance of witnesses. 

Police investigations did not reveal any mechanical fault with the Prado that would have caused or contributed to the collision, according to the coroner’s findings.

But it was towing a trailer and load which exceeded its towing capacity, of 2500 kilograms, by at least 70 kilograms.

The coroner said police determined the combined weight of the trailer and load at the time of the collision was, at a minimum, 570 kilograms more than the allowable combined weight for the trailer.

“[Police] determined that contributing factors to the collision were the excessive speed of the Prado, the excessive weight being towed and the loading configuration of the trailer, which caused the tow ball to be low,” her findings state.

“Crash Retrieval Data extracted from the Prado showed that 3.8 seconds before the collision, the Prado was travelling at 106 kilometres per hour, slowing to 96kph immediately prior to the collision.”

The default speed limit on the Northern Highway between Tooleen and Elmore was 100kph.

Ms Dehne was charged with careless driving, severe breach of the mass limit requirements for a trailer, and towing an unregistered trailer – all of which she pleaded guilty to in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on December 7, 2017.

She was convicted and fined $2000 plus costs, and her licence was suspended for two months.

“In his Victim Impact Statement, John expressed a wish that his sister’s death not be ‘just another statistic’ and hoped his family’s tragedy ‘would serve as an example and as a warning to other drivers as to the risks and responsibilities when towing heavy loads’,” the coroner’s findings read.

“John urged the presiding magistrate and coroner to consider recommending actions that would help prevent similar incidents.”

The coroner said his suggestions included changes to the driver training to include towing techniques and regulations, perhaps even making the towing of loads greater than a light trailer a licence endorsement requiring competency testing, adding this type of ‘accident’ to the TAC ‘scenario’ advertisements.

Both the TAC and VicRoads were invited to respond to Mr Teague’s comments.

“On April 27, 2018, TAC and Vicroads were informed by the court that they must respond by May 4, 2018, as the finding into the death of Jennifer May Teague was otherwise ready to be finalised,” the coroner wrote.

“The court did not receive a response from either institution”.