Re: LR3 was SER1 where have we gone in 60 years?

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Hi Diana & everyone,

I laugh when I hear about how dangerous 4WD's.....I live in Bungendore, NSW,
just outside Canberra, we have a big problem with Kangaroos along the
Kings Highway. At some times of the year there's a dead one every 3 to 400
mts.
The NRMA quoted cost per month in damage claims is between $700 to $800K
(inc Canberra). Our Disco has mowed a few over sadly with no damage either!
we have
been lucky thus far....I cringe driving my Porsche home at night....I sit on
80 to 90 Km
perHr. The point I'm getting at is for us the mass and protection is almost
mandatory
to avoid damage to our vehicle and family. So anyone who says to me that I'm
irresponsible driving my alleged gas guzzling 4WD killer can go to
hell!>....

I have seen so many wrecked cars as result of kangaroo strike its not
funny......so they
(4WD's) have their place.....as for pedestrian safety well......?

I have been unfortunate enough to have knocked down a 4 year old boy in
Sydney
whilst driving a Government panel van. He was small enough to have been
caught by the Bull Bar
yet his head bent far enough over to dent the bonnet. He survived and is OK.
The kid darted
across a 4 lane busy road, when I caught him he appeared from behind a
vehicle going the
opposite direction, split second them bang...I got on the brakes real quick
but......

When the cops arrived and questioned me they threatened all sorts of
things!......fortunately the
engineer with me who witnessed all this said to the young cop "you can't
change the laws of Physics,
I have been trying for years!" and if you want to charge anyone it should be
the kids parents!...
.(they had just arrived on site).....it all then went into melt down....

The second point having actually done this, bull bar or not, 4WD or not, the
variables are many
and the kid I did over was lucky...he could have easily gone under or over
the car, if it was an
adult? I suspect it would have been a whole lot uglier. So I don't worry
about what the supposed
informed think, reality is, large amount of mass moving at "X" kilometers
hits flesh!.....its going to
have any number of outcomes....some not so happy.

So what to do? bull bar or not? car or 4WD? well I suggest you do what's
best for you and
your application.

Bruce




> G'Day Allan Tom and others
>
> No your not alone.  Have you been following the contraversy with North
> Sydney Council who wants to double the cost of Resident Parking Permits
for
> people who drive large four wheel drives with an intention to reduce the
> standard rate for owners of small "environmentally friendly" vehicles.
What
> an administrative nightmare.  What constitutes a large four wheel drive,
my
> 80", a Suzuki Sierra, or just the LR Defenders, Toyota Landcruisers and
Jeep
> Grand Cherokee.  Where does the Subaru Forrester fit in, on that matter
what
> about the Subaru WRX, Jensen Interceptor or Audi Quatro their all four
wheel
> drive.  Then theres the equivalent sized vehicles, the variety of white
vans
> from everyone, Nissan, Mitsubishi. Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, VW etc and all
> the people movers Chrysler Voyager, Toyota Tarago which what about the
> 1950's Ford Customline its as big as a Landcruiser wagon and more of a gas
> guzzler.
>
> Who makes these ideas up that 4X4's are so dangerous.  I recently heard a
> presentation on driveway rollovers of children and 4X4's were over
> represented in the sample. I seem to recall that about 25% were caused by
> 4X4's when they only make up about 5 - 10% of total registrations.  The
> Hospital that did the study was Westmead Children's Hospital in western
> Sydney, the following day I was in the next suburb to Westmead (picking up
> 80" parts) and was stopped at traffic lights.  I did a count of the cars
> around me, of the 13 vehicles at the lights more than 50% of the vehicles
> around me were 4X4.  Some the family car, others the plumber's work truck
> etc.  As someone said there are lies, damn lies and statistics.
>
> Before I leave the subject, Yes there are some issues where the geometry
of
> a 4X4 and the physics of a car V' pedestrian crash where 4X4's are
> dangerous.  The height of the bumper changes the first point of contact on
> the pedstrian higher up so there is a greater tendency for the pedestrian
to
> be thrown to the ground and run over where adults are usually thrown onto
> the bonnet and run under.  (Children are most frequently run over or
> thrown.)  However this is the same for any vehicle with a high bumper,
like
> the forward control white vans.  The other issue is the high centre of
> gravity and weight reducing stopping efficiency however this can be
> countered by the greater visibility leading to less crashes in the first
> place.  Although I haven't seen comparitive statistics for crashes per
> vehicle miles travelled between cars and 4X4's, maybe no one has done them
> because their not politically correct findings.
>
> Regards
> Diana
>
>
>
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>


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