They rave on about bullbars been dangerous!!?

Maybe a bit simplistic?
City slickers have no concept of the issues faced 'in the bush'.

However there are quite a few bullbars on the 4By's of urban cowboys too I would suggest, and having lived in the ACT there are also quite a few without them. And yes, roos are quite a hazard in the ACT.

Perhaps some of the issue stems from attachments to the bullbar, like the 2 way bracket mounted the wrong way, and of course the now illegal (although you would not know it) fishing rod holders. These 2 items could certainly carve a hunk of meat out of the unwary pedestrian if they survived the whalloping.

Us bullbared 4wd owners can go some way to alleviate these misconceptions by making sure our vehicles are safe to those inside and those outside. I have seen sooo many that aren't.

Ive heard roo's are quite a problem in Canberra.
Do people driving sedans have bull bars or only 4wd's.
Cheers

Hi Prado,
I have heard that there is a problem in Canberra with Roos. (true)
I saw a doco on it, very interesting too.
I do believe donkeys are a problem there as well. LOL

Seriously, they do make bars for sedans and if I were in an area where there was an issue I would have one fitted to my car pronto.
I would certainly have one fitted to my Prado if I were you.

Here is a sobering thought, due to the backside falling out of the deer breeding game many years ago, some deer breeders just opened their gates and let them out, apparently. I dare say some also escaped.

We are now starting to see "Watch out for deer" signs along the Pacific Highway these days from Taree north.

If you hit one of those in an ordinary sedan it would be catastrophic for the passengers because the bulk of their body is above the bonnet of most modern cars so the windscreen will take the full force of the carcase and then it hits the passengers.

Back in the mid sixties I heard of a fellow who was traveling from Broken Hill toward Cobar and a big Roo came through the windscreen of his Merc and the big toe of the Roo pierced his throat and killed him. These deer are bigger than any Roo I have seen.

We live 7 or 8 Ks west of the Pacific Highway as the crow flies and we have seen them on our place, a big bugger with a full antler, deadly serious.

I would hate to run one of them down. These are some of the reasons I do not like driving of a night. The animals are most active at night.

John and Regina, I think the main opposition is just bullbars in general as they are unforgiving if you hit a pedestrian with them. I guess the best idea is to try very hard to avoid pedestrians if you have a bull bar fitted. LOL,

And yes, people in the city do not comprehend the problems faced by many living and driving in the bush.

As Erick Bogle wrote in "Now I'm Easy" I think "There are no starving stock on the average suburban block" so in general many city dwellers, and I was one once, do not comprehend much outside the cities unless they get away to the bush a bit or have family on the land or in country towns.

Cheers, Bruce.

Prado

No they don't have bars on sedans and it is not uncommon to see a different car parked up on the side of the road near with obvious "roo" damage. Not daily but at last several news ones weekly. And that's on a road quite close to us on the edge of the ACT. It is the same actually in the suburbs.

On a slightly different tack. It wasn't a roo but a slippery gravel road and a minute lack of attention by moi.

In march 2013, our bar saved the front by deflecting our car off a rock wall in a very slow slip off the road. All four panels, new front and rear bars and damaged pride. Thanks to the bullbar and steel side steps we were okay to drive home safely and unhurt.

Yes we have a roo problenm in Canberra. Lots of warnings with the morning road reports as well.

Phil

Hey Bruce C

Be nice! If the donkeys you are referring to are our elected representatives, then just remember where they come from and who picked 'em. LOL

John

Re the comment from Bruce about deer, recently travelling S to Armidale saw 7 dead fallow deer in about a 5km. stretch of highway near the Ben Lomond turn off.
Would hate to whack one of these rangy buggers in any sort of vehicle.
mike

I have heard it said that poloticians are positive proof that the first settlers mated with kangaroos.

cheers

I have seen plenty of sedans sporting bull bars, and always from those living in the country - Tamworth, Wagga, Albury ect. I haven't seen any in Canberra but I'm sure there would be a few at Queenbeyan.

As for the donkeys, when you go to vote, you don't vote the best donkey in, you vote the worst donkey out. There are no good donkeys in politics.

Lol Mike, ..But I did slow down when I saw a sign , " Wallabys Please cross here"


Cheers.

Doug! When we were in Sweden, we travelled hundreds of ks of roads with 2 metre mesh fences to stop Moose getting on the road. Many deaths from hitting Moose there, those long legs fold up and they come through the windscreen, generally killing everyone in the vehicle! Michael

Hullo Michael
In 1978 the white posts marking the sides of the road in Sweden were (and maybe still are?) triangular in shape with the reflectors placed so that headlights make them shine out into the fields on either side, the theory being that it makes an elk hesitate just that small amount of time so that a collision is avoided.
Cheers
Andrew

Andrew
I remember when I was escorting Oversize from Brisbane to Mt Isa they had a test on reflectors between Barcaldine and Longreach. not sure if it works .



.

They give their cars the Elk Test in Sweden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAPa3flxuG8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

We should give our cars the roo test?

Interestingly the hilux and the jeep grand Cherokee both fail the elk test. Toyota stopped selling hilux on 16 inch rims in Europe after the 2007 failure. Maybe that's the reason that only models with stability control get 16's and Pov packs are still on 15s ?
Why is this stuff not reported more widely?

From what i saw of the cherokee test the driver threw it into the hats completely different to the other car, looked a bit rigged to me.

Hi Phil - even funnier when they are texting with the earplugs in! Cause they can't hear the Turbo Diesel creeping up behind... :)

G'day Phil
I agree , roads were made for vehicles , if there were no vehicles then we would have no roads and the people could wander like cattle , When I was a little one in Adelaide Mum would always wait for the green to cross the street, I was taught that in the 1940's and I still apply it today, one only has to wait and stand for ...what 90 seconds . The funny thing I see sometimes is a persons walks up to the crossing , the red light is showing, they hit the button on the pole as they go past and keep walking through the red light , why do they still press the button...???


.

Total lack of consideration for others mate. Thats why they press the bootun. Just like when they were teenagers and liked to see all the cars stop for nothing. I have even seen cops, parents, seniors and kids do it. But don't you dare say anything. That's impolite!!!! Luckily the places we go do not have traffic lights.

Phil

I like this one:

Many people today have no sense at all around cars. Was watching some teenagers walk around a car reversing out of a car park the other day. Sure, the car could have stopped if they had seen them, but as they were three quarters out of the park, would have made more sense for the teenagers to stop. Instead they abused the driver.
I teach kids in my care to look out for the reversing light when in car parks. I mentioned it to an older kid once who said why worry. If they get hit, they can sue the driver.
Accidents can happen, but pedestrians also need to watch out for cars.

Apparently losing a leg or getting killed is not a concern.

"If they get hit, they can sue the driver" - great attitude that, at a would guess, we have inherited from the yanks.

Oh That's right. We can ask Google!!!

Phil

I am getting a bit OT here so I will leave you lot to it. I also have a bbq tonight to get the place ready for. At an expected 40 I think that I will be the only one outside.

Many years of experience have taught me this;

"It's not that bad!"....YET!

Mick
(Stepdad to one of today's inconsiderate youth)

Pedestrians have right if way (priority) over a vehicle making a left hand turn, when they are crossing the road, unfortunately nobody taught most drivers that rule!

Wasn't that way back a ways. Another thing brought in from Europe or Ameriuca. No confusion. Just the same all around the intersection. So now they look righ, look left but if the car is doing a left turn it doesn't matter. Nah Confusing for kids.

A question: How come in some places in Tassie and up on Thursday Island there is a sign that says that pedestrians are to give way. Nothing about if this or if that. Just that they must give way.

Phil

It has always been that way!

2nd rule.

http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/usingroads/downloads/top_10_misunderstood_road_rules.pdf

I won't deny that it is there now, things change, but neither of us can remember it being in the road rules back in the 50's and 60's when we got our licences.

And don't forget that back then we didn't have cheat exams as practices back then. You had to know all the rules verbatum.

What's the reason that it is there? Anyone know?

Phil

I can assure you that it applied in 1965!
It's fairly obvious why it applies & it's the responsibility of every driver to acquaint themselves with changed or new traffic rules.

Although I can't understand why changes or additional rules can't be included with registration renewals, it would be very easy to have a program that would collate & include the changes over the preceding 12 months.

What ever you say sir. It really doesn't matter does it? If a pedestrian is stupid enough to walk out in front of a car then one would be a bigger idiot to hit them. So I will just not drive over them next time. Okay?

It's like going around a round about and a truck on your left is not stopping. It would be best for all if you stopped and let the truck go through, just the same as stopping and not driving over the pedestrian. Rule or no rules.

Phil

No, the turning vehicle has to check for pedestrians!

Shaker who gives a stuff what the rule is. Who cares who is supposed to look first. If a child does not look right then left etc, are you going to purposely drive over him. Nah. You try to be aware of the "stupid" things that people do. You let the boy go. You let the truck go. And you let the pedestrian past. Regardless of the rule and whatever animal instincts that you have.

Lets face it rules are for those who won't share the road. They are for those selfish buggers that press the lights button but do not wait for the green. Rules are for the mugs who go and drink a belly full, and then drive home.

A responsible, sharing and considerate member of society really should not need a rule book stuck to their forehead.

Phil

Hahaha, exactly right Phil, that "rule" is not going to save your arse in court after you have run someone over. But, but,but, Judge the rule says...................................!!

Peter

Odog, Roos were a prized bit of tucker ... once, so their numbers were controlled.

Now we have reduced their predation and improved their habitat so their numbers are booming, every where. Back when Canberra was a big paddock there it would have been a lot drier, less feed for them and there probably were more Dingoes therefore there would have been far less Roos to worry about. Along comes progress, more water, nice parks, dogs under control. people feeding Roos, me included, and next thing you know they are every where. We do not shoot them here at home anymore, no inclination to go spotlighting.

About the only thing doing anything to control numbers is road kill, in the main.

Here on the Mid North Coast NSW you have to share the Golf Courses with the Roos. If they don't like you they attack you.
I think you would want to get in first with a good wood, I reckon. LOL
A good backswing set on its left ear would do the trick.

Now there is a cat set amongst the pigeons.

I'm outa here.

Cheers, Bruce.

Saw a huge mob of 50+ near Jerrabombera right near that speed camera. On the left as you drive from Queanbeyan to Hume. Bloody big mob and heading for the road to boot.

I wonder if they would stop at traffic lights. Let's face it roos must have more brains than those who walk at Dont Walk lights.

A bloke we know had a smash repair place and a wreckers and he was always amazed why people don't have bull bars in the country. Good business for him so he really wasn't complaining, mind you.

Phil

Hi Phil,
I used to reckon sheep were the most stupid animal ever given breath, but as I see heaps of Roos between my place and town especially along the road shoulder eating the green pick I have noticed that their eyesight is not good, their directional hearing is apparently not brilliant either. When they hear you coming at about 100 metres or more they sit up, more or less look in your direction and when you are about level with them they take off straight out in front of you. Happened to me thousands of times.

I now believe that Kangaroos are the most stupid of animals purely because of their suicidal tendencies. It is as though they were saying to themselves "Oh, there's a car coming, I had better jump out in front of it". Not even sheep are that stupid, but they do come close.

Some of the more intelligent and confident ones will just sit where they are while you pass but they are few in number, the and more skittish ones will beat a hasty retreat away from the road, sometimes. The others become roadkill.

I also agree with you Phil that road rules are for the ignorant / belligerent among us who think the road is theirs and rules are not for them.

It takes less time to give way than hang around waiting for the coppers to arrive and sort the mess out in the event of an accident, irrespective of rules.

Cheers, Bruce.

I guess that it's a bit like "turning the other cheek" as JC would put it. But at least we live to drive and eat and love another day.

But maybe the kangaroos are just imitating the americanism of australia and trying to out do this buck.



Nice one!!!!!

Phil

Hahahahahahahahahahaha,

Hey Phil did the coppers catch up with that Buck???

That was a clear case of "Fail to stop". LOL

Should be a clear warning to all those bike couriers in the big cities.

I'll bet that Buck had had a huge grin on his face.

You've made my day Phil. LOL

Cheers, Bruce.

Nope you missed the message underpinning the safety of Awstraylian society...."all teenagers......and kangaroos should be shot on sight!"

Or get a roo bar!


;-)

Should rename the bars to idiot bars, teenager bars, phone bars, or the like.

No No No SDG..

You'll get em barred.....
..


.