AIBU to think that people should only be allowed a 4x4 if they actually need one?

[boomting]

They are ridiculously fuel inefficient, and given the finite supplies of oil and the effects on climate change (and no this isn't a climate change thread!), I think that the government should only allow you to own a 4x4 if you have a demonstrable reason for needing one. You would have to submit a form and be issued with a special licence to own one. Reasons could include being a farmer, or having to tow heavy trailers that cannot legally be towed with a smaller vehicle. This isn't an exhaustive list of acceptable reasons, but people who only use them for the school run and going to the supermarket shop should not be allowed to use them.

AIBU?

Yawn, 4x4 on school run, the horror.
You sound like you have a very urban perspective tbh.

I have an AWD estate car, (not selectable 4WD) and its the best thing Ive ever driven on our twisty rural roads that turn into streams at the drop of a hat. Its a very safe car.

I personally think a 4x4 with a cream interior is daft but I'm not going to demand licences.

YABU

YABU. With regard to conserving fuel and the environment, it's irrelevant how many wheels are driven. It's not very relevant how fuel efficient a car is, because a 4x4 that's drive 1000 miles a year is less of a problem than a Prius that's driven 12,000. All that matters is how much fuel is used, and there is already a mechanism for regulating that, the tax on fuel.

I loved my 4x4 for the school run and shopping, will be getting another one soon as it fits my requirements for myself and my family.

I don't like them because they are high off the ground and when they hit people they have more chance of killing them.
They tend to be driven by wankers. For example one mother I know whose house looks onto the side of the primary school. Gets in her 4x4 drives around to the front gate throws her kids out at the gate and drives back home. All of 200 yards!
I dislike them more for those reasons than fuel economy. But we can't start imposing rules like that or it would never end.

Finally I have learned to say fuck off and get a life and now I will hide this thread rather than get upset and feel a need to defend normal people and nice cars. (and will now go for a drive in my 7 liter Escalade which does about 9mpg). Byeeeeeeeeee dearie poos.

We have 2 4x4 cars!

Dh has a proper one, defender, that he uses for work, mainly in farms etc. so it is certainly necessary to do his work. No complaints from anyone when he helps them winch their cars out of snow drifts during last few winters.

I use mine mainly for social life and weekly shopping. But I do less than 4000 miles per year, always walk to school, into town and to supermarket for top up shopping. How is that worse than having a normal car and driving everywhere? I love my car, it's easy to park, lovely to drive, and cheap to run.

No intentions of selling it just because some people think It may be bad for the environment. Surely, it all has to be weighed up together with heating, electricity usage, plane travel etc. not simply, "them 4x4s are bad news, let's get rid if them!"

I also have an AWD that comes on when it needs it but you can select it for lower speeds. It is a compact SUV not a full-size. So would I need to take this test or not? I will be in quite a reasonable amount of snow at least four or five times this winter. Would I be allowed it in your test? What about years I only drive in snow once? Would I have to hand my car in?

Oh and some 4wd are high off the ground and some aren't at all and are built on a car chassis so that isn't a fair point either.

Loveweekends a lot of 4x4's aren't though, don't tar them all with the same brush.

So, by your definition, I should not have an MPV as we only have 2 children and its smaller than a Ford Mondeo estate? The next car we get will be 4wd or AWD so we don't get snow bound even though we live in a town centre otherwise the DCs won't be getting to school.
I think you are not only highly unreasonable, your knowledge of cars is breathtakingly appalling.

Kahlua, we did over 3000 miles in one week over Christmas!

our 4 x 4 tows our caravan I wonder if that would be on the OP approved list I hate filling out forms

If you 'need' a 4x4 or other large SUV style vehicle to drive in the snow then you don't know how to drive.

If I ruled the world, I wouldn't ban anything but I'd make sure that anything over a certain kerb weight and size was taxed to the hilt.

YABU, OP, and your opinion is actually quite scary.

If the government wants us to use more efficient cars, they should encourage this behaviour via the taxation system.

As they do - tax of more economical cars is much lower than gas guzzlers.

OP, I hope your heating is set to not even 1C higher than it absolutely needs to be.

Reducing heating temperature by 1.5C saves on average 450kg of CO2 per year.

That's the same as driving 1,500 miles in some big 4x4s (based on 190g/km).

Have you made sure your own green credentials are in order, before starting this bollocks thread?

We don't need one but it was the cheapest 7 seater so we bought it.
The government controls the price of road tax and petrol so they already have enough say in what I can and cannot do IMO

If you 'need' a 4x4 or other large SUV style vehicle to drive in the snow then you don't know how to drive.

Try it where we live, without a proper 4x4.

It's not just the traction that's an issue, you know; winter tyres will fix that bit quite often (I have winter tyres on my car every winter) but when there's over a foot of snow on the road you aren't going anywhere without good ground clearance.

Loving all the hysterical "why does it bother you?" and ^"is this all you have to worry about?" posts. You could say that about most of the AIBU threads!

I live in a London Victorian era house which has been converted into flats.

We have a communal car park out the front.

It is normally perfectly adequate for the 4 or so cars which need to be parked there.

However two girls have moved in downstairs who both drive massive monster trucks four wheel drives...

Then their boyfriends stay the night and park out front and they also drive massive four wheel drives.

It is a bloody nightmare and there is sometimes no space for us to park our own 7 seater MPV [we have two small children].

Our family car is smaller than these four wheel drives which only transport one person

They are bloody ridiculous imo and often just a status symbol in London. No need for them at all.

Oh look, another control,freak on MumsNet. Who would have imagined such a thing?

It is a bloody nightmare and there is sometimes no space for us to park our own 7 seater MPV [we have two small children].

The hypocrisy is staggering!

Other people shouldn't have a 4x4 but you need a 7-seater because you have two small children?

Wow.

What gets my goat is the number of front gardens dug up and concreted over to make space for more and more cars. I accept most households need more than one car these days but it is not necessary to completely cover your frontage in concrete etc. especially that disgustingly naff, entirely un-eco imprinted stuff that looks like rubber. Can't they at least leave a corner of greenery intact? Nobs.

I especially hate it when they park in disabled parking spaces and poo in my garden. I think that rounds up the predictable troublemaking threads for the week.

I don't think the 4X4 bit is the problem. Maybe the OP could change it to:

"Nobody should have a car with more than a 4 litre engine, or one that does less than 15 MPG unless they can prove they need it."

They should be banned. As they are a menace.

Theodorakisses, very funny.

I love my 4x4. Fuck off and mind business .