Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 17:03
Just read this
http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,11911280%255E421,00.html
Anti-bullbar campaign launched
By David Crawshaw
11jan05
THE family of a
Melbourne boy killed by a four-wheel-drive has begun a campaign to ban bullbars from vehicles in urban areas.
Shahid Hajher, seven, died in his sister's arms in the New South Wales south coast town of Kiama on January 3 after he was hit by a four-wheel-drive fitted with a bullbar.
His cousin, Farid Rawan, has become a lobbyist and is calling for a ban on bullbars on vehicles in NSW's urban areas.
Mr Rawan, a
Sydney computer engineer, hoped Shahid's death would not be in vain.
He yesterday launched an email petition urging people to support a ban on bullbars on urban vehicles.
It was "ridiculous" for urban motorists to fit their cars with bullbars, Mr Rawan said.
"I'm sure in the country there's a big argument for them to prevent kangaroos coming through the windscreen," he said.
"I don't know how often that happens but in the city there's just no reason to have a bullbar."
Mr Rawan said his cousin was a gentle and brilliantly talented child.
"Shahid was one of the most innocent and sweetest kids I have ever met," he said.
"If he was in the house for a day it would light the whole house up."
The Pedestrian Council of Australia has backed Mr Rawan's campaign.
Council chairman Harold Scruby said bullbars were a factor in up to 12 per cent of pedestrian deaths but police and the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) were not enforcing standards regarding unsafe bullbars.
But motorists would gain demerit points for unsafe bullbars from March 1, he said.
Lake Illawarra police supervisor Sergeant Bryan Rugg said today police were unlikely to press charges against the driver of the four-wheel-drive that hit Shahid.
Comment was being sought from the office of NSW Police Minister John Watkins and the RTA.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 17:29
Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 17:29
You gotta feel sorry for the family of the poor little tacka that became another statistic of course. But you also gotta ask yourself the question; "if he'd been hit by the same car/4x4 with a standard bumper bar or even a feather mattress on the front, wouldn't he still have come off just as bad? You don't get hit by a 2+ tonne vehicle and not get hurt or dead.....end of story.
As for the idea of trying to establish whether a vehicle is a fair dinkum "off-roader" used for excursions into that mythical place called "The Outback", who's gunna be the judge of that???? You could be a city dweller who only goes bush once a year or every weekend. What business is it of the authorities? Will they legislate against bullbars for urban-registered 4x4's? What about semi trailers and rigid trucks of 3,5,7, 10 tonne etc?
And what
about us bush blokes who visit the city only infrequently? Are we gunna be pulled up by the city cops and asked to produce our licence to verify that we live outatown?
It's all gunna be too hard me thinks and they won't be able to bring it in.
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Follow Up By: Member - Tim - Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 17:44
Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 17:44
Unfortunately Roachie it seems to be reaching the stage where the propoganda of the opposition is beginning to gain credibility. Harold Scruby is now quoted without any question of where his statistics come from and the inference in that article is that even though the driver hasn't been charged there must have been something wrong with the vehicle that caused the death. No questions and no report of how it actually happened or who's fault it was, just inferences that it must have been the bullbar. Not even an independent analysis that he would have survived if hit by something without a bullbar.
I think that we all need to start raising our voices in opposition whenever this sort of thing comes up. Perhaps start writing letters to the papers that question the facts, question the validity of their arguments and perhaps let the journalists know that there are people out there who don't agree with the current bias.
I have just voted in The Age's survey and encourage everybody else reading this to do it too. The numbers are currently low enough that our voice would be significant.
Damn, the soapbox just fell out from under me :).
Tim.
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Follow Up By: Rosco - Bris. - Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 17:46
Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 17:46
And what about those that come with the vehicle as a standard part, not an optional add-on.
Seems to me it would be a legislative nightmare.
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351354