At least a balanced view on 4WD safety.
Submitted: Friday, Mar 26, 2004 at 12:49
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Bazza
G'Day all,
This was in today's
Sydney Telegarph motoring section ...........
Sorting fact from fiction
*Officials believe the increase in 4WD fatalities reflect nothing more than their dramatically increased popularity and greater overall use.
* Crash
test results are good for comparing one 4WD with another, but they do not tell the whole "crashworthiness" story.
* In car-versus-4wd crashes the car occupants are at a sustantial disadvantage because of the 4WD's greater mass and height.
* A 4WD's greatwer height makes it three to four times more likely then a car to roll over during a serious accident.
* Airbags in 4WD's and in cars have been shown to cut the risk of serious injury by about half.
* Driver impairment, either from alcohol or fatigue, is the single biggest causal factor in 4WD fatalities, accounting for 54% of deaths.
* Crash investigators say that the vehicle is a contributory factor in only 7% of 4WD fatal crashes.
** To access more info on road crash statistics : Australian Transport Safety Bureau : www.atsb.gov.au
Regards,
Bazza.