Ancient civilizations have a rich tradition of preserving their most prized possessions. The Romans, for example, were responsible for one of the world’s most important imperial networks of roads, built across Europe on which they travelled for commercial reasons and to effectively control their empire. Today, heritage site integrity and preservation of artifacts are critically tied to sustainable tourism. Yet, as with all enterprises, the success of the tourism industry requires a balance between risk and reward. In the case of cultural heritage tours, travellers are often not aware of legal requirements that must be followed in the regions they wish to visit, and which vary from one state to the next. Violation of such regulations can put the integrity of many heritage sites at risk. Hence, for the recent Heritage Educational Portal article on the comprehensive overview of hitch cargo carrier regulations, the following sections outline the educational value gained from integrating legal knowledge into heritage education training.
The scope of this article is limited to how legal knowledge contributes to cultural heritage tours in the United States. In particular, with the growth of the automotive industry and travel, regional laws have subsequently evolved around commercial transport vehicles. Departing from the context of the Roman Empire, which had introduced the first long-distance crossings across Europe, contemporary passenger vehicles are not typically used for the preservation of artifacts. Instead, environmental conditions and visitor / expert interactions are identified as the most significant risk factors in the preservation process. The connection between safe travel practices and heritage site preservation, therefore, needs to be understood.
Take, for example, the damage caused by motor vehicles to roads, structures, archaeological sites, and other famed places of interest. This is more so the case when modifications are made to the vehicle and improper transport procedures are used. For tours that offer the chance of visiting ancient ruins and artifacts, thus, it is vital to understand how the use of accessories, such as cargo carriers, may affect safe travel practices in the preservation of cultural heritage. Failure to understand such laws, even if these seem inconsequential, can have damaging long-term consequences and high penalties. The possibility of the former is typically applied when restoring a damaged site or artefact back to its pre-damage state, while the latter involves fines, added repair costs and lowered commercial revenues.
According to university experts, there are many opportunities to educate tourists about the legal requirements linked to cultural heritage. These include the use of artefacts, various natural resources and historic structures. Specific to the hitch cargo carriers, Lawsguide.com states that these vehicles are only authorised for off-road transport of “heavy equipment.” Most definitely, therefore, they are banned from commercial freight transport. However, this is not the case when it comes to recreational and community activities – it is permitted to transport several goods, depending on the state and usage. The comprehensive overview of hitch cargo carrier laws by state outlines these distinctions in great detail, and is available here.
If the focus of the education is on cultural heritage tours, as opposed to issues around the automobile industry, the promotion of safe driving, proper parking, and other legislated laws has two strong advantages. First, safe travel practices become imbedded in the daily habits of the tourist or recreational driver, who becomes more likely to replicate these patterns when travelling in other countries. In other words, a thorough understanding of the law causes a long-term behavioural change in the person where there is an increase in their observance of the legal requirements. Second, it results in increased awareness of how the vehicle, the people involved and the increased mobility of different goods affect the cultural heritage sites visited. Even if not stated, the tourist becomes more likely to consider the implications of their actions in the preservation of sites. In the long run, this serves to protect each nation’s unique cultural heritage.
As noted, each state varies in terms of their laws around this issue, and as discussed, not all laws have negative implications for the cultural heritage sites. As such, there are states that have imposed general limitations to this type of vehicle. The laws are aimed at younger drivers who may require time to improve their driving abilities before transporting very heavy goods. Also, dedicated parking spaces have been allocated for loading and unloading of goods to minimize any potential risks.
In comparing the laws across many states, heavy vehicle regulations include specific rules on the type of load that can be carried. Heavy loads, for example, are determined by the weight limit set by individual states. Also, some states have more strict regulations regarding the use of trailers and flatbed trailers, which are much heavier than standard vehicles and hence pose a higher risk for accidents due to improper usage. By operating legally in line with the limitations set by the state, tourists in the commercial and recreational sector are more likely to avoid damages to cultural heritage sites.
In summary, the article summarises how cultural heritage education can benefit from integrating legal knowledge into the drivers, tour guides, and tourists who are more likely to use accepted safe driving practices. At the end of the course, learners are significantly more likely to have an accurate awareness of the laws that apply to them and how public and private heritage sites in the United States will be affected by non-compliance.