4x4 Vehicles - Should they be banned from Town/City Centres

zincoxide · 6 March 2006 at 10:56AM

I'm a great believer that the only reason people should have a 4x4 is if they intend to take it off road, own a farm or live somewhere where the roads require it.

Surely the idea of taking little Tariq to school in a 4x4, although great for the occupants, is increasing the risk of serious injury to pedestrians due to the height of the vehicle i.e. childs head height.

Just thinking - who would like to see them banned from town or city centres?

balsingh · 6 March 2006 at 11:30AM

I completely agree with you .... but in a world where being trendy and flash is more important than the safety/fuel economy aspect, I reckon you will see even more of these. In a recent survey I saw on TV, mothers who use these cars for school runs said they felt the size of the car made them feel safer if they were to be involved in a an accident.

What I will never understand is why people want to drive these cars which give you under 20mpg, are so slow cos of the weight, cost tons to insure and are impossible to park.

blue_haddock · 6 March 2006 at 12:05PM

Sorry but people who want to ban 4x4's from towns really do annoy me. I don't tell you what TV you can and can't watchso why can you tell me what i can and can't drive?

And where do you draw the line? the subaru impreza is a 4x4 so would that be banned? and what about the 2wd drive versions of things like the Honda CRV? it's still the same size as it's 4wd brother but it's only 2wd so would that be allowed in town?

Balsingh "why people want to drive these cars which give you under 20mpg, are so slow cos of the weight, cost tons to insure and are impossible to park"

I regularly drive a Landrover Defender V8 - thanks to LPG it give the equivalent to 45mpg. It is definately not slow, cost less than £300 a year to insure and it fits in a standard parking space but due to it being 4wd i can also park it in places where normal cars couldn't.

nej · 6 March 2006 at 12:54PM

I really hate the anti 4x4 brigade. And I mean, REALLY hate them. Petty, small-minded busy-bodies with a stick up their backsides.

I used to have a Freelander. Lovely car. Diesel. Won't even go that far off-road. Obviously the work of Satan himself. I then replaced it with a VW Passat which was longer, so took up more space on the road and was more difficult to park, and did far less MPG. Guess what vehicle I was safer in and able to control better in bad weather conditions such as heavy rain or snow? Wasn't the VW...

Can we therefore also have a ban on MPVs, as they are higher than normal cars also. Oh, and vans. And lorries. And buses.

The only point I will agree on is with bullbars, which are unneccessary in towns and cities, but can be acceptable in the countryside.

And as for the environment angle? What a load of rubbish! My car does 40mpg and yours does 35? Terrible! That's a whole 12.5% worse! I remember these adverts in the US that accused 4x4 owners of supporting terrorism by using more petrol... hmm, so it's Ok that normal car owners are also doing this, but not quite as much?

intel · 6 March 2006 at 12:59PM

They should be banned full stop except for farmers.

And road Tax should be 400quid a year for all the road damage they cause.

blue_haddock · 6 March 2006 at 1:02PM

intel wrote:

They should be banned full stop except for farmers.

And road Tax should be 400quid a year for all the road damage they cause.

Can you prove that my Landrover damages the roads more than something like a BMW 7 Series or Mercedes S Class? They are longer, wider, just as heavy and not as economical as my vehicle.

And what happens if you are not a farmer but live in hilly area's where the 4wd is useful in times of bad weather?

intel · 6 March 2006 at 1:07PM

blue_haddock wrote:

Can you prove that my Landrover damages the roads more than something like a BMW 7 Series or Mercedes S Class? They are longer, wider, just as heavy and not as economical as my vehicle.

And what happens if you are not a farmer but live in hilly area's where the 4wd is useful in times of bad weather?

Its not the wieght its the big chunky tyres that excessively grips the road
as proven by the department of transport the VBRA and Top Gear.

Hey they all say that not me.. P.S my brothers getting a Honda CRV
and well I think hes a ruddy idiot for doing so.....

To me its just another Van with a Bully behind the wheel driving.

But thats my opinion. :beer:

iwanttosave_2 · 6 March 2006 at 1:14PM

They should be banned from everyone barring people that will actually use to 4x4 mode, and under no circmstances let a bloody woman have one. I am fed up od women at school, trying to get down the narrow lane in a bullet proof, tinted windowed range rover, whose wheel arches are that clean the closest they have ever come to mud is on DS wellies.

There is no need for a car that big when a hatch or estate will do just as good, look at the size of a Porsche Cayenne, there is absolutly no need for it, if we are keeping them shove a massive road tax levey on them.

redux · 6 March 2006 at 1:16PM

the bars on the front should be banned - they are designed to prevent being marooned in the desert or outback by animal impact damage to the cooling system, not look trendy at the expense of a huge increase in the risk of killing children

intel · 6 March 2006 at 1:21PM

P.S The Maibatsu Monstrosity, is a fictional Vehicle from Grand Theft Auto
so 4x4 lovers dont try and buy it youll get a funny look.

iwanttosave_2 · 6 March 2006 at 1:22PM

4x4 Vehicles - Should they be banned from Town/City Centres

Should 4x4 vehicles be banned from town/city centres 184 votes

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