I reckon 4WDs can be a good thing. Like elephants. They are wonderful blundering about the African bush. In your living room though, elephants are less attractive, especially when you are trying to watch TV.
Same with 4WDs. Working on a farm or on a rural adventure (even if city owners rarely let them off the bitumen) 4WDs are wonderful. But in town they are pests and sometimes dangerous pests.
I heard the government used to subsidise 4WDs so cockies could afford them. Quite right too. But they subsidised them for townies too. Maybe they still do. As a result, too many lemming-like townies with more cash than brains got one.
I'm a motorcyclist. We pay more road taxes and charges than operators of any other registered transport type.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/abolish-tac-antibike-tax.html
In 2011 4WDs make up about 20% of private vehicles. As a rider I resent 4WDing townies having cashed in on a subsidy meant to help cockies. I also resent townies in 4WDs, with wheel arches full of toddlers, trying to kill me then saying "Sorry mate. I did not see you" as some sort of absolution.
Anyway, this letter was published in Melbourne's Sunday Herald Sun on November 6, 2011. Page 70.
AND now the owners of those big tanks, the four-wheel drives, will come out defending their need to own such a vehicle by saying these accidents (DC - crashes) happen with all cars.
Some of these 4WDs are so big that toddlers might almost walk under them. Trucks are a necessity, 4WDs are not. They hog air space, that is vision, crowd and intimidate smaller cars, guzzle petrol, shine headlights into cars, are downright dangerous when hitting a car and unsafe - rollovers are common.
Many people can barely see over the steering wheel let alone handle one and rear cameras give a false sense of security. And more toddlers are killed from them than from cars. Ban these dangerous vehicles.
Goodonya Josie. I don't know about a total ban but I'd certainly support increasing road costs to reflect the damage 4WDs do to the city environment, infrastructure and safety. And I'd support moving the TAC tax on motorcycles & scooters to private 4WDs registered in urban areas.
Don't know if these kids were injured by a 4WD driver or not but I doubt a motorcycle or scooter rider would have hit htese toddlers in the same situation.
THE HERALD SUN
Monday Novemeber 7, 2011. Page 14.
"CAR HITS TWO GIRLS
Two children have been taken to hospital after being hit by a car at a community show north of Melbourne.
The girls aged three and five, were hit by a car attempting to park at the Whittlesea show about 12.30 pm yesterday.
A spokesman for Ambulance Victoria said both girls suffered leg fractures.
They were admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital. The three-year-old was taken by road ambulance in a stable condition and the five-year-old was flown in a serious but stable condition.
Police are speaking to thew driver of the vehicle.
It is not known if the children were related."
Damien Codognotto OAM
Independent Riders' Group
MRA HLM
Melbourne
d.codognotto.oam@bigpond.com
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