4WD owners should have special licence

[Falchoon]

Urban cowboys to face tough 4WD driving test

  Quote

Four-wheel-drive owners should have a special licence and be made to sit off-road driving skill tests before taking to the city streets, a federal parliamentary report recommends.

The report on national road safety, tabled in Parliament yesterday, urges the Federal Government to develop a national licensing system, targeting owners of four-wheel-drives and caravans.

"Driving conditions in these vehicles are sufficiently different from those in standard cars to warrant such an approach," the report says.

One submission, published in the report, says four-wheel driving tests would ensure drivers understood and could competently handle their off-road vehicles in all conditions.

Four-wheel-drives account for about 20 per cent of new car sales, but as the love affair with off-road vehicles grows so too does the number of four-wheel-drives involved in fatal crashes, research has shown.

Analysis published last year by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that over the nine years to 1998 the number of fatal four-wheel drive crashes rose 85 per cent.

An accredited trainer with the Australian National Four Wheel Drive Council, Norman Bee, said he was supportive of extra training for drivers who used their four-wheel-drives for recreational purposes.

But Mr Bee, head of the council's South Australian driver training unit, said he did not think drivers should have to undergo training if they did not buy their four-wheel-drive to drive off road.

"I don't think you can make the training mandatory for those type of people."

The chief executive of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, Harold Scruby, has been pushing for special licences for all four-wheel-drives over two tonnes for several years.

"What they really are are trucks made to look like cars," Mr Scruby said. "People who drive trucks don't have standard licences, so why should drivers of LandCruisers and Pajeros have standard licenses?"

The chairman of the committee that produced the report, the Queensland MP Paul Neville, said the inquiry identified measures that could reduce the national road toll.

The report called for 50kmh limits on all suburban roads in Australia and a 60kmh limit on urban arterial roads.

Mr Neville said that every year about 1700 people died in road accidents in Australia and many more were seriously injured,

[JB]

Probably setting myself up for a beating however,

An accredited trainer with the Australian National Four Wheel Drive Council, Norman Bee, said he was supportive of extra training for drivers who used their four-wheel-drives for recreational purposes.

But Mr Bee, head of the council's South Australian driver training unit, said he did not think drivers should have to undergo training if they did not buy their four-wheel-drive to drive off road.

"I don't think you can make the training mandatory for those type of people."

Is this guy for real? This is the exact opposite, it's the guy's that do go out in the bush that take the time to learn how to drive these things, understand them and can handle them to a reasonable standard. It's the ones in the city that require the education. All you have to do in Melb is spend a day in the inner city especially aroud school time and by God it's like a swarm of bees. Mothers in 4WD that have no concept of what's around them and no ability to drive, keep in their lane and park these things. I know it may sound sexist however all you have to do is look around. I watched in horror opposite the Alfred Hospital the other day a lady trying to park a land cruiser. She was that far out in the road that she was blocking two lanes of oncoming traffic, after 5 attempts she started crying. A gentleman behind her who was watching from her first attempt got out of his car, helped her out of hers and proceeded to back in in for Her! By then there was a fair traffic jam.

Not forgetting that these are also types of vehicles that sit on your arse on the road and sit in the outside lane.

Don't get me wrong I think 4wd's have a strong purpose in the bush and around town, however I believe that the way they are promoted is wrong and they need to have some form of controls on them.

Just My 2c

[Antisocial]

Its not the cars, its the drivers...

My last car was a Patrol and it was huge and heavy but I was always aware of that.... there were many time where I had driven out of a parking space next to a pillar in an underground car park and somone (possibly female and of ethnic origin...but not aways) would come along in their Pulsar/Barina/Corrola and have 2 or 3 go's at parking in that same space and then drive off, because they could not fit!!!!

And that is just parking, so I can only shudder when I imagine how bad their reversing, merging, lane changing and other BASIC driving skills were.

[Worpor]

  JB said:

Not forgetting that these are also types of vehicles that sit on your arse on the road and sit in the outside lane.

Don't get me wrong I think 4wd's have a strong purpose in the bush and around town, however I believe that the way they are promoted is wrong and they need to have some form of controls on them.

Just My 2c

I drive a 98 Patrol 4in lift goes through roundabouts better than most standard cars 50 kms no worries. Pulls off from the lights if required as fast as a standard Ford. 4.5 L petrol

My Point - It goes and handles as good as most standard cars.

It’s passed the lane change test. So it’s legal

Mate I always get these buggers giving me the finger for being too close if they got out and had a look they would see that its and illusion because of the height.

Manipulation of statistics. Hello if there are more of one sort of car on the road now of course there is going to be more of them in accidents DOH! If is a disproportionate then we have a problem.

Trucks Pfft they have a class for trucks 4 tonne gross and it’s a truck and you need a different class. Simple they don’t go over so it’s not a truck. There are plenty of small trucks 2 tonners that can be driven on standard licence.

If it’s so bad lets licence these drivers as well. This approach of get the 4WD IMHO is just work of another winging minority that have a cause nothing better to do and keeping them selves in a job. This country is over run with such groups. We are one of the most over governed countries in this world.

End of my rant :lol:

Tony

[JB]

Great to get it off your Chest is'nt it Worpor! :lol:

Mate I don't disagree, it's just what was rolling around in my mind at the time. We could get onto the larger topic of licensing which would actually represent the cause of most problems on the road, then you could merge about 5 thread's that are currently running on different topics. My main point is the government's approach is crap, reactive and anywhere they do not have to completely overhall anything they will dress it up and re-use it, rather than trying a whole new platform for fear of community re-action.

My family actually has a 4wd in our cars and I know that the people who drive it have all done a course, can park it between the arse cheeks of a fat lady if required, and manover it accordingly, like anything there's always the good and the bad.

[Worpor]

Its all good

[fordboy1981]

I personally can't stand 4x4s, you can't see around them, the mum's that generally drive them are arrogant and pay no care to other road users....you can't use the excuse that they carry more ppl, if that's the reason, buy a ppl mover!

it's just a small point, but a valid one.

Dave.

[citric acid xr6t]

  YCL said:

Its not the cars, its the drivers...

I agree totally. We are a 2 car family and have had Landrovers Nissan Patrol and now a Pajero. I believe I am responsible in my Pajero and as safe to other road users in this as I am in my T.

Yes I bought my 4wds for the extra passenger space but that was not the only consideration, try and pull a 21ft Cabin Cruiser with a people mover or try to get to that favourite remote fishing spot in your people mover.

We all love to live in Australia for our freedom of choice and I do not need some tosser from a vocal minority telling me I cannot drive my 4wd in the city. What some of these dills should be doing is focusing on the real reasons for road accidents and its plain everday I venture out onto the roads. Some drivers have no idea how to drive no matter what vehicles they are in. If they want to introduce mandatory driver training do it for all.

[Worpor]

  citric acid xr6t said:

  YCL said:

Its not the cars, its the drivers...

I agree totally. We are a 2 car family and have had Landrovers Nissan Patrol and now a Pajero. I believe I am responsible in my Pajero and as safe to other road users in this as I am in my T.

Yes I bought my 4wds for the extra passenger space but that was not the only consideration, try and pull a 21ft Cabin Cruiser with a people mover or try to get to that favourite remote fishing spot in your people mover.

We all love to live in Australia for our freedom of choice and I do not need some tosser from a vocal minority telling me I cannot drive my 4wd in the city. What some of these dills should be doing is focusing on the real reasons for road accidents and its plain everday I venture out onto the roads. Some drivers have no idea how to drive no matter what vehicles they are in. If they want to introduce mandatory driver training do it for all.

Try towing a 2.2 tonne cherry picker with a Nimbus

[Buf-Phoon]

Guys , please don't flame me but whilst I agree that it is primarily the driver not the vehicle at fault I have made some observations of different driver behaviours , some good some abhorrent , particularly in heavy traffic

The majority of these potential and actual disasters I have witnessed were perpetrated by female Asian drivers, when combined with a large 4WD it is truly scary stuff. This is certainly not a racist comment , just my observations.

I trust that there are plenty of drivers who are more than competent, but it just highlights just how easily the authorities issue licences to people who clearly cannot drive a std car let alone a small truck.

Mods please take this in the spirit for which it is intended as I just wish to highlight the the lack of education, training, and demonstration of practical ability that exists before letting some individuals loose on the road. This is also applicable to all creeds , colours and ages.