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Original poster

Who wants to join the ANTI 4x4 stickering campaign?

256 replies

CountessDracula · 13/07/2006 12:24

hilarious I love the fact that they look like parking tickets for each borough (but that they haven't done Richmond}

OP posts:
HappyDaddy · 13/07/2006 22:03

Yes SoupDragon. It's nice though, innit?

Jazzi · 13/07/2006 22:03

But you could use whichever example, not just safety, in this villification of the 4x4 driver!

MissChief · 13/07/2006 22:03

god, how edam's put it is truly .
how can you read that and still defend them?

SoupDragon · 13/07/2006 22:04

"4x4s are higher and heavier. You don't get thrown on the bonnet, you either (adult) get several tons of metal in the abdomen or (child) get hit in the head. And then crushed under the car. Both highly fatal."

But Edam, that's not the case with all 4x4s according to the EuroNCAP pedestrian tests.

edam · 13/07/2006 22:04

And yes, they are more likely to roll in an accident, very helpful for nearby pedestrians or (more significantly) for the occupants of the 4x4 and other cars.

mykidsmum · 13/07/2006 22:05

I think Jazzi safety is the issue that affects us most, particulalry as parents

mykidsmum · 13/07/2006 22:06

'scuse the spelling

edam · 13/07/2006 22:06

Last time I checked, EuroNCAP found two makes of 4x4 which were no worse than some ordinary cars. That's two out of dozens on the market. Proves that manufacturers who give a toss can redesign their bonnets to be less lethal. Would be nice if they'd all do it. But sadly seems 'this car isn't going to kill pedestrians' isn't a huge selling point.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 13/07/2006 22:06

one recently reversed round a corner and of course couldn't see me or dd on the pavement, mounted the pavement and only didn't squash dd because I screamed and smashed the back shouting STOP STOP.

The height of the back of the car would have decapitated dd if I hadn't acted quickly

OP posts:
HappyDaddy · 13/07/2006 22:08

edam, hopefully safety will become more of an issue as more and more buyers are worrying about it.

mykidsmum · 13/07/2006 22:09

safety would become more of an issue if less people bought them

Original poster
CountessDracula · 13/07/2006 22:09

yeah right

as we can see from this thread

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 13/07/2006 22:09

The point I'm trying to make though, edam, is that there is no point villifying 4x4 drivers as putting your child at risk when there are other more common cars which are more dangerous to them.

The real iussue is that cars shold be made safer for pedestrians and passengers alike. 4x4s are an easy target but the 2 I mentioned (XC90 and Pathfinder) are actually safer than many other smaller vehicles. You can't lump all 4x4s in together when some smaller, more common, cars are actually more dangerous!

MissChief · 13/07/2006 22:10

are they though? I wish, but the more the issue is aired the harder line some advocates seem to get, on here anyway. have we had any converts tonight? do they need some aversion therapy?

edam · 13/07/2006 22:10

OMG CD, thank the Lord you got them to stop. How thick does someone have to be to reverse round a corner when they can't see, and to mount the kerb?

Jazzi · 13/07/2006 22:10

Yes of course it is, but where I live I can drive and not see another car for miles!! I have a higher driving position - which improves my view of vehicles coming out from country lanes for example. Mykidsmum I understand what you are saying, but I believe that whatever the issues are around 4x4's be they safety or pollution or whatever, it still seems to be based more about out inherant dislike for the 'type' of person that drives the car and not about the issues raised!!

WideWebWitch · 13/07/2006 22:12

Oh that's ok then Jazzi, as long as you can see all around you!

mykidsmum · 13/07/2006 22:12

Its actually the i don't give a shit attitude that really bothers me Really you don't give a shit? tell me that if God forbid your choice in vehicle does kill someone.
Wasn't particularly against 4x4's until i read a couple of threads where owners tried to justify them, I think its indicative of the increasingly selfish society that we live in

MissChief · 13/07/2006 22:13

don't dislike anyone becuase of the car they drive, damn well dislike some cars when they're driving them though! a couple of closish friends actually have 4x4s, don't respect them for it, and am somewhat surprised but don't hate them either!

Beetle73 · 13/07/2006 22:13

Sorry, don't wish to downplay the safety aspect, but can I just make the point that THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ROOM FOR THEM! If we all drove them there'd be gridlock in London.

SoupDragon · 13/07/2006 22:13

How about CLio drivers though??

SoupDragon · 13/07/2006 22:15

Vauxhall Astra drivers? Megane drivers?

Jazzi · 13/07/2006 22:16

I would have thought WWW that it would be better to see what is going on around you, is that not what safety is about??

mykidsmum · 13/07/2006 22:17

I don't dislike anyone i don't know i haven't the energy, and quite frankly i don't like being negative as it brings you down. However I really find it hard to understand how people don't care about others

edam · 13/07/2006 22:17

Soupy, thing is, 4x4s as a class ARE far more dangerous than most other cars, because they are higher and heavier. Two manufacturers have now managed to design around that, thank heavens, but those models will be a tiny minority of all the 4x4s on the road.

There are smaller cars which also fare badly for pedestrian safety and you are quite right that manufacturers should be addressing this. But that doesn't mean 4x4s are no worse than any others. Almost all of them are, still, very dangerous.