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

110frankie

Nej you wrote: All "accidents" are avoidable by drivers paying more attention to what they are doing.<<<

whereas the police say 85 per cent of those involving pedestrians are caused by the pedestrian...

110frankie

david29dpo wrote:

this is getting silly. each to there own.

not according to the folks who started this thread...
I, and others, are merely explaining to them what drivel it is to blame one type of vehicle for all the problems on the roads today.

nej

110frankie wrote:

Nej you wrote: All "accidents" are avoidable by drivers paying more attention to what they are doing.<<<

whereas the police say 85 per cent of those involving pedestrians are caused by the pedestrian...

Ah sorry, I meant all "car-car" accidents are avoidable by drivers paying more attention. I completely agree about the pedestrian thing - read my previous posts!

devils_spawn

110frankie wrote:

not according to the folks who started this thread...
I, and others, are merely explaining to them what drivel it is to blame one type of vehicle for all the problems on the roads today.

Did you see the Fifth Gear report on the safety of 4x4 cars?

It demonstrated that the pssengers in a people carrier would have came off better then those in a 4x4 on a head on collision.

This is due to the chassis on a 4x4 being so stiff and pushing the oncoming vehicle up to the softer areas and causing the engine and dashboard to be pushed back onto the driver and front passenger.

I'm also strongly of the belief that 4x4 cars should only be used by those that NEED them, not just want them.

If you need safety, comfort and status then buy a Merc or BMW with a high Euro Ncap safety rating.

Lob_Rockster

devils_spawn wrote:

If you need safety, comfort and status then buy a Merc or BMW with a high Euro Ncap safety rating.

The BMW X5 gets a 5* NCAP rating. So your point is, erm, lost?

Cunningly, the Discovery (2) challenges the Jeep Wrangler for design...a Discovery3 would have been better in the situation, as would X5,XC90 etc etc.

Based on threads like this, I am going to need 2 cars; one to get from my home and one to drive into your town

Wirenth

Beware anything that has an 5* NCAP safety rating. It does not mean that the vehicle achieved 5* on every single test.

Whilst a car might have a great frontal crash test rating, it does not mean that it has a good oblique or side-impact rating! Or that it has passed a pedestrian / polo test with flying colours...

110frankie

"I'm also strongly of the belief that 4x4 cars should only be used by those that NEED them, not just want them.

If you need safety, comfort and status then buy a Merc or BMW <<<

...and people NEED these gaz-guzzling luxury vehicles do they?

MrsTinks

I used to drive landrovers off-road in competitions and owned a 1962 Series IIA for some years... Not hugely economical but it was reliable and I loved it! Banning them from towns or anywhere (oh the list of people who want them banned from green lanes where they have a legal right is HUGE) is in my view wrong. I am biased yes, but there you go. After all why is a 4x4 any worse than say a huge mercedes or BMW? Or vans?

Lob_Rockster

Wirenth wrote:

Beware anything that has an 5* NCAP safety rating. It does not mean that the vehicle achieved 5* on every single test.

Whilst a car might have a great frontal crash test rating, it does not mean that it has a good oblique or side-impact rating! Or that it has passed a pedestrian / polo test with flying colours...

most cars have low ratings for Lemmings-interfacing be they low- or high-bonnet models....and for example being hit by an SUV as an adult is very different to being a child (hip -vs- head impact). Even with models with Lemmings-airbags, the risks to the person hit is high....moral of the story - don't get hit!

mdean

110frankie wrote:

hank you for that well thought out addition to the debate.
It has helped the anti-4x4 campaign no end. I would tell you to be ashamed of yourself but the type of person who writes what you did hasn't any concept of shame.

As 4x4s actually outsold so-called "economy cars" last year, and are again in front in the first quarter of this year you are in for a frustrating, sad time of it.
I'm pleased to be able to write :-)

Thanks for cheering me up.

Always glad to cheer people up
nearly 10 years living near a private school is what made me feel like that about 4x4 HUvs etc
Love a good rant
lots of fun here http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2006/02/27/driving_them_off_the_road.html

there is an even better anti 4x4 site but too rude I think for MSE