Four Wheel Drive Longevity

Three years ago a five-year-old girl was run over by a parent's 4WD vehicle in the school ground of a Sydney private school. This week saw statements from the coroner inquiring into the death that 4WD's should be banned from stopping within 200 metres of school yards, should not be allowed to enter school grounds, and a call for the Roads and Traffic Authority to introduce special licences for 4WD's over two tonnes.

The problem in the specific case was not driver skill as the driver was a hobby rally driver who had taken special training. The problem is one of "relativities" (the Title of Deirdre Macken's column in the Financial Review which comments on the issue). 4WD's have limited visibility of people in close proximity and their bumper bars line up children at head height. In road accidents they line up other drivers at head height, not at equal bumper bar levels, as do dodgem cars. Their proliferation in dense city environments is a self-image fad rather than a rational practical purchase. The bigger question now is, when the fad fades following the stigma now emerging in the school ground, what psycho-social city group will buy the cheap secondhand 4WD's which will flood the used car market?

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