Anti - 4wd/suv Discussion

[Josh]

Yer but holding up traffic...

[DanR33]

going a safe speed coz if they went any faster the thing would've flipped over. Therefore the whole point of this discussion. They are made for off road not for suburbia.

[Josh]

I saw a hilux on the weekend with one of those jack up kits on it... looked rediculous... not to mention it was drooping on one side.... He tried to go through a roundabout about the same speed as me ~45kmh... It looked like the guy inside was bashing his head off the windows it was that harsh... It was like a monster truck...

[ossie_21]

Was heading down the freeway this morning, a cayenne turbo pulled in front of me, you can't see jack shit past one of them, another blocking of your view you have to put up with.

[Josh]

Maybe they should all be made of lexan...

[Dsturbd]

4wds should stay off road n performance cars should stay on the track

and 33s in the ocean with all other whales :lol:

[mitchy_]

my 33 doesn't like the ocean/water...

it flaps its tail around everywhere..

[Samwise193]

Thought i might join in here.

Just read this whole thread.

Same with an X5 - ?? Why would you take that off road?? really??

exactly

since when where 4wd like the lexus rx330 meant to go "off road"?

thruth is, they wouldn't go any more offroad then any 'normal car'

And whats with putting bull bars on SUV's?

beats me.

sort of hypocritical that cops swarm all over us when we don't have front bars on, or have our carbon fibre GT wings too high/wide.

Yet they let big 4wd and those cowboy utes have big bullbars that are even more of a threat then taking off a front bar

I have nothing against farmers or people in the country owning/using them - having been way up north for a period of time and living in an area where a 4WD was a necesity, It is these people in the metro area who have absolutely no requirement for them - They are f**king dangerous - not just for the poor old pedestrian, although I admit hitting someone after a certain speed isn't going to make much of difference due to the car your driving, but for us other motorists who can't see or a held up by some dumb c**t who can't move over to the left lane - and admittedly that isn't a 4WD only prob..

I agree

i live in country WA, i see alot of 4wd owners that actually need them, and so many more that really can do without.

i find most people that tailgate me, own 4WD/SUV's

seems to be the hyundai terracans for me. for some random reason.

usually on the same roads. it's weird.

Duncan:

i know that it does seems a bit hippocritical that we slag 4wds. But 4wd owners will turn the probelm away from them onto other people. Media, society, etc. seem to love picking on imports and their drivers under who are under 25. So they will. Because we are an easy target.

The ones who break the limit in 5 flat are hoon drivers. WHO CAN BE DRIVING ANY CAR!!!

Soem of the reasons why i chose an import car are obvious:

* i am alot more comfortable driving a car that is lower to the ground )and at least it doesn't inconvienice anyone )

* build quality

* value

* decent power (not overdone for a street dayly driver) and not driven recklessly

list goes on.

they think by tailgaiting you there are intimidating you

they think that becuase they have the bigger vehicle, they can push anyone around.

Notice that 4wders keep using the same reasoning? which really just digs their hole deeper.

one reason that just re-enforces our debate and proof of their arrogance is:

*People on't mess with u if you have a bigger vehicle*

i've nearly been in several accidents by big 4wds thinking that they automatically have right of way because they have a bigger car.

thruth is, they are the ones who drive with mobile phones, no seat beat and do dodgy manovures in teh middle of the street inconveniencing every1 else.

I hate the way that car comapnies advertise these days. Especially the 'compact 4wds'. Just a profit play, convincing more and more people that it is 'all good' to drive a big 4wd in the city.

oh yeah, i've heard the term for 4wd drivers who use their 4wds for 'shopping' and 'taking the kids to school' are called "soccer mums"

Pity that the 4wd commericals these days promote it. like the prado and the territory.

anyway, that's:

I hope i don't sound too bias here.

Cheers all. B)

[ossie_21]

Just have to throw this in the mix:

Wallaby great's tragedy prompts 4WD call

Sunday Oct 23 19:04 AEST

The car accident that left the daughter of former Wallaby skipper Phil Kearns with life-threatening injuries has reignited demands for upgraded safety on four-wheel drives.

Nineteen-month-old Andie Kearns remains on a respirator in a critical but stable condition in The Children's Hospital, Randwick, after she was accidentally run over by her father in the driveway of the family home on Saturday.

Kearns had been reversing his Volkswagen Touareg four-wheel drive at the Mosman house on Sydney's north shore when the accident happened.

In a statement released to the Nine Network, Kearns said Andie was doing better than had been hoped and thanked the public for their support.

My wife and I are overwhelmed. It has been just amazing," Kearns said.

"(Andie) is holding up really well. She had a good 24 hours and is much better than she was yesterday."

Pedestrian Council of Australia (PCA) chairman Harold Scruby said the federal government should make it compulsory for four-wheel drives to have reversing cameras fitted.

"People buy them (4WDs) thinking they're safe, but they simply are not," Mr Scruby said.

"They're extremely dangerous, lethal even, and you can't see little children below the guard."

He said 30 Australian toddlers died each year in driveway accidents, with a further 300 injured.

More than two-thirds of the accidents involve four-wheel drives.

"Without these vehicles, this wouldn't be such a problem," he said.

Mr Scruby, who lives two doors from the Kearns family, said the latest incident was a tragedy but a timely reminder.

"No one's blaming Phil Kearns," he said.

"We're simply saying, for God's sake, don't buy these ridiculous tanks."

He called on the federal government to pass a law requiring all four-wheel drives to be fitted with better technology including reversing cameras.

The cameras, currently fitted in Lexus cars, screen footage from the rear bumper in the rear-vision mirror when the vehicle is in reverse.

Mr Scruby said rear-bumper sensors were not sensitive enough to "pick up" small children and the reverse-beeping mechanism was relatively ineffective with toddlers.

He also called on the Commonwealth to immediately increase the tariff on the vehicles, above the current five per cent.

"We welcome anything to discourage people from buying these things," Mr Scruby said.

A spokeswoman for The Children's Hospital said Andie Kearns was being looked after by a team of paediatric intensive-care specialists, surgeons, an anaesthetist and laboratory and imaging staff.

"The minute-to-minute care that she's getting is being delivered by highly specialised nursing staff," she said.

"That's in addition to the fact that her parents are spending an awful lot of time at the hospital."

The little girl suffered mainly abdominal injuries when she was struck.

She is the youngest child of the former Wallabies hooker and his wife Julie.

The couple have three other children - Wilson, Finn and Matilda.

Kearns was named in the Wallabies Team of the Decade in August, and is Australia's most-capped hooker, playing 67 tests - 10 as captain - between 1989 and 1999.

He also played in both the 1991 and 1999 World Cup-winning sides.

Prime Minister John Howard said the Kearns family was in everyone's thoughts and prayers.

"I think all Australians, parents in particular, we feel for Phil and his wife and just hope and pray that the little girl recovers," Mr Howard told reporters in Sydney.

"We send our good wishes and thoughts and our prayers," he said.

New South Wales Waratahs coach Ewan McKenzie has sent his best wishes to the Kearns family.

"Obviously wishing them all the best and hopefully everything will pan out all right and there's a speedy recovery," McKenzie told ABC radio.

[DanR33]

"People buy them (4WDs) thinking they're safe, but they simply are not," Mr Scruby said.

"They're extremely dangerous, lethal even, and you can't see little children below the guard."

He said 30 Australian toddlers died each year in driveway accidents, with a further 300 injured.

More than two-thirds of the accidents involve four-wheel drives.

"Without these vehicles, this wouldn't be such a problem," he said.

- exactly my point... they are child killers!!!

Mr Scruby, who lives two doors from the Kearns family, said the latest incident was a tragedy but a timely reminder.

"No one's blaming Phil Kearns," he said.

"We're simply saying, for God's sake, don't buy these ridiculous tanks."

- couldnt have said it better myself, Mr Scruby u bloody legend!

[Samwise193]

"We're simply saying, for God's sake, don't buy these ridiculous tanks."

lol.

[Josh]

Damn right!!!

[Dsturbd]

Whats a 19 month old doing behind the car if 1 parent is driving n the other is in the house ?

People need to be held accountable for there actions n stop blaming the car

[Josh]

Even still - less likely to happen in a smaller car...

[DanR33]

Whats a 19 month old doing behind the car if 1 parent is driving n the other is in the house ?

People need to be held accountable for there actions n stop blaming the car 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

2 out of every 3 times this happens it is with a 4WD. Ok, Maybe it isn't because of the car but seeings norman cars out number 4WD's and two thirds of these accidents involve 4WD's then I can only come to one conlusion:

4WD owners are bad parents!

There ya go I'm not blaming the car. A 4WD is just a reflection of a bad parent

[Dsturbd]

Im a good parent as my 2 yr old daughter isnt allowed to play in the driveway or on the road

[Samwise193]

Im a good parent as my 2 yr old daughter isnt allowed to play in the driveway or on the road 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish all parents where like that in their teachings.

Young children need to be taught about how dangerous the road is before they venture outside.

[Boostzor]

Then again those surburban streets u cant have kids feeling like prisoners in the house casue some ricer might take em out of they go on the street.

Who didnt play on the road as a kid? we used to have a bin for stumps and just move it when a car came. I even recall sleeping on the road at one point in summer, dont ask me why im sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.

hey i saw on teh news that kid that got nailed, was that a touraeg? doesnt that thing have camera in the back end speciifically designed to avoid this?

[DanR33]

VW probly have the camera on the toureg as a $7000 optional extra.

If you dont slow down for kids even playing in their front yard in a suburban area then you're an idiot. Kids are like pets, very unpredictable and can run out in front of the car at any time. But its not a matter of kids playing on the street. It is accidents when people hit their kids in their own driveway.

Now seeings 4WD account for over 2 out of 3 of these accidents it purely comes down to visability. Im sure the majority of people dont wish to run over there own kid. The whole thing is that 4WD with their bulky size, poor visability and ugliness are not suited to be suburban or city cars. They are designed for off road, etc. The fact that so many people drive them and dont need to have them accounts for all these poor kids getting killed and injured by them.

[DanR33]

A tractor is designed to dig stuff up, building sites, etc. But I am going to buy one and drive it everyday coz u never know when i might need to dig something up and also it would look cool and be safe for me.

Better yet I might drive a fork lift on the road. U never know when ull need to pick up a pallet.

Does this sound stupid? Well its the exact same thing as buying a 4WD! They are purpose built vehicles people just like a tractor or fork lift.