4WDs make others feel unsafe: survey

Silly city drivers - lets just run 'em over!

Hey Truckster
So the old 'chestnut' is being dragged out again -"Lets ban 4WD". I would love to know where some of the statistics are drawn from particularly the one on the increase of 4wd fatal crashes. I have a sneaking suspision that the satas are made up of incidents in rural areas where the majority of vehicles are 4wd. I get really p*##$d of when you see them (4wd) being used as Toorack Taxis or glorified shopping trolleys and the only time they leave the bitumen is when they are parked in driveways. BTW I use mine around town, it's our only vehicle, but nearly every weekend you will find it doing what it was bought for GOING 4WD. It might be time for all 4wd Associations to stand up and be counted.
Cheers
Mike

"I'M NOT #!%^$&*ING ARROGANT AND AGGRESSIVE!!" ( LOL )
Bazza

Obviously AAMI dont insure may 4wds.

Hey truckster,
Channel Nine is REALLY doing a job on this story tonight. Im listening to my mate Lawsy on 2UE and so far i have heard it as the story of the day 5 times on radio.
I can just imagine how the words will all blend in. And i can see the camera men trying extra hard to find aggressive driving footage with 4wd'ers to show the viewers just how bad we are.

I wonder what would hapopen if while driving my GQ i backed off to allowed a camry to enter my lane and find the driver had a heart attack from my kind gesture? Ya think id be sued for that? and more importantly...would all you guys abuse me for the being mellow on regular drivers ?

I'm not surprised that NSW is considering a special license - isn't that where the bull bar idiot lives!. AAMI obviously didn't survey drivers in SA as they'd find that car drivers ignore 4WDs, cut in on them, brake suddenly, abuse us for being slow off the mark. Still, to be sure 2000 drivers are obviously representative of the Oz driving community, so we've got to go with that I suppose.

Make it compulsory to buy a troopy then we all can have a great truck!!

Ok, if we read what they are really saying, in that survey article,

it says
"Four-wheel-drive owners are so arrogant and aggressive behind the wheel that 70 per cent of Australian motorists do not feel safe sharing the roads with them, a national survey reveals."

So what it means is, 70 percent of aus motorists feel 4wders are arrogant and aggressive, as it doesnt actualy prove 4wders are anything, it only asked opinions in a survey.

they said
"while 39 per cent of four-wheel-drive owners acknowledged their vehicles were probably dangerous to other motorists. "

We install smoke alarms, safety switches, pool fences, lollypop ladys on crossings, air bags, etc etc to look after our family, so what is wrong with driving a car which is the hammer, compared to the nail?

they said
"most drivers were not convinced they were safe for Australian roads. "

Interesting noa ctual No's quoted here from a survey where they can quote No's elsewhere, and again, they are asking people thier opinion on 4wds and safety, no factual data what so ever in this statement.

they said
"Ms O'Connor said the survey found most owners lived in the city. Only one-quarter listed their main reason for buying a four-wheel-drive as a desire to go off-road exploring."

Do we buy runners to go running? I didnt realise our rights to free choice meant we had to use the items we purchase for thier intended purpose.

they said
""Six in 10 drivers of regular vehicles said they believed four-wheel-drives should have special licensing requirements due to their different handling and safety considerations," she said. "

Interesting concept, given some 4wd's in the market are smaller, and lighter than passenger cars, the 90 prado for instance is the same weight as a statesman, with much less power, then we have suzuki's, hyundai's, softroaders, like the holden cross8, ad ford territory, which are same weight as prado, similar configaration to awd subaru's, so how do they police it?

they said
"Australian Transport Safety Bureau figures show that over the nine years to 1998, the number of fatal four-wheel-drive crashes rose by 85 per cent"

they quote a figure of deaths in 4wd's, without quoting the No's of 4wd sales increase in that period, or if it includes awd vehicles as well, which would probably then show an 85% increase in fatalities may actually be a lower figure of deaths than the 9 yr previous, compared to sales.......

they said
"The committee chairman of Staysafe, Paul Gibson, said special licences for four-wheel-drive owners were being considered in NSW. "

Another way to increase insurance, license fee's, and revenue.......

A very one sided article, which , tells us more about the writers bias by its omissions, than its content, and a typical sensationalization by main stream media.

This story has just had an airing on 5AA in Adelaide and the pro 4WDers outnumbered the antis which was good to hear. I'd be in favour of a change in the licensing rules, driving a vehicle weighing close to 3 tonnes is different to driving an auto Barina for example, towing a large caravan/boat should have a different licence too, as should driving turbo'd ricer sports cars too.

This hysteria is being generated by the media and is no different to racism. it is only getting worse because some people have a bias against 4wd and are stirring the pot. I strongly suggest a class action should be taken against the people who are carrying this business on. all 4wd that satisfy the vehicle constructors code ( or whatever) are entitled to be driven on the australian roads. To say that australian roads are not suitable for these vehicles is crap, there is a tremendous number of roads which are only suitable for 4wd. Yes i will watch the chanel9 crap tonight but let us figure out some way to stop this rubbish or the racism will increase.

Yeh, well I', not racist at all but I would like to make a point involving races. If we have a minority group, Aboriginals for instance, of which a small number (note I said small) are constantly causing a large number of problems in Adelaide, like they do, do we go and make them all go and do a special course on how to behave? Or do we ban them from the streets? No, I tell you. We educate those around them to understand their culture and indeed give them special benefits over other races in Adelaide. Make exceptions to them breaking the law, etc.

Now apply that to 4wds being the minority group, and wham everyone else should be educated on how to drive with 4wds around. Understanding of the 4wd machine and the 4wdriver will see increased harmony and confidence on the road. With a little loving we can look to a bright future of unity and a one car nation.

What a load of crap I just dribbled.

Further to my comments above - the telephone number to ring is 02 94394577 and let them know how uncomfortable you are with these continuing attacks on the sort of vehicle a person drives. it doesn't fall into a particular catoragy of descrimination so cannot be handled by the states anyway. The number above is "current affair."

Graham

I dont know if anyone remembers the old 1A and 1b liences from 20 years ago.
1A was cars {sedans under 1.5 tonne} 1b was cars over 1.5 tonne up to 3 tonne eg station wagons and heavy trailers.
Considering that the lienceing scheme has now gone national ,I cannot see the re-introduction of the 2 tier liences. however I can see Beattie and Carr putting a huge leavy on 4WD regos.

Next week the bull bar spotlight will pointed again when the news is a bit slow.

shadow

And I now wonder where the majority of the survey was taken! I had no idea I was so arrogant yet the minister of war & finance would probably agree sometimes! then again who cares?