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Link:
http://inverell.yourguide.com.au/de...egory=general news&story_id=398692&y=2005&m=6
4WD ban labelled 'impractical'
By Matthew Mulligan
Friday, 3 June 2005
RECENT talk about banning four-wheel drives from stopping within 200 metres of primary schools has been met by mixed reactions, and some believe it would be simply impractical in country areas.
The suggestion to ban four-wheel drives by Deputy State Coroner Jacqueline Milledge followed the death of five-year-old Bethany Holder, who was run over by a four-wheel drive inside the grounds of Pittwater House School at Collaroy, on Sydney's northern beaches, on July 24, 2002.
Ms Milledge, when handing down findings from an inquest examining the safety of four-wheel drives on school grounds, said: "I'll be damn sure I'm not going to allow arrogant people who think the roads belong to them, and may think they should be able to take their kids straight to the door (of the school), to get away with it.”
One might question whether or not Ms Milledge's somewhat black and white opinion applies to all four-wheel-drive drivers.
NRMA Motoring and Services policy expert, Jack Haley said Ms Milledge's recommendations were unworkable and unsafe.
"This will make life harder for families who drive 4WDs and result in the undesirable situation where children have to be dropped off at considerable distances away from the school, forcing them to walk and exposing them to greater risk from other traffic,” Mr Haley said.
Inverell's Ross Hill Primary principal Bob Niche said he felt any move to ban four-wheel drives from school zones would be an over-the-top reaction.
"I think it's a gut reaction to an unfortunate incident,” Mr Niche said.
"In today's society people love to be able to blame somebody,” he said.
Mr Niche said that in the country it was a totally different story to the city, as many people drove four-wheel-drives out of necessity.
Mr Niche also introduced the important point that four-wheel drives where not the only heavy vehicles that drove on, or near school grounds.
He pointed to buses, delivery vehicles, and waste disposal trucks and questioned what kind of problems might be seen if these vehicles, as well as four-wheel drives, were to be banned from entering a designated school zone.
In an NRMA report released last week, it was revealed that the visibility of some sedans was equally as bad as that of four-wheel drives.
The Holden Commodore VX sedan was one of six cars with the worst visibility while reversing, the NRMA research revealed.
While four-wheel drive models are among the worst, they are not the only category of car with poor visibility while reversing, the report said.
"Many [four-wheel drive vehicles] perform better than popular sedans," the report said.
http://inverell.yourguide.com.au/de...egory=general news&story_id=398692&y=2005&m=6
4WD ban labelled 'impractical'
By Matthew Mulligan
Friday, 3 June 2005
RECENT talk about banning four-wheel drives from stopping within 200 metres of primary schools has been met by mixed reactions, and some believe it would be simply impractical in country areas.
The suggestion to ban four-wheel drives by Deputy State Coroner Jacqueline Milledge followed the death of five-year-old Bethany Holder, who was run over by a four-wheel drive inside the grounds of Pittwater House School at Collaroy, on Sydney's northern beaches, on July 24, 2002.
Ms Milledge, when handing down findings from an inquest examining the safety of four-wheel drives on school grounds, said: "I'll be damn sure I'm not going to allow arrogant people who think the roads belong to them, and may think they should be able to take their kids straight to the door (of the school), to get away with it.”
One might question whether or not Ms Milledge's somewhat black and white opinion applies to all four-wheel-drive drivers.
NRMA Motoring and Services policy expert, Jack Haley said Ms Milledge's recommendations were unworkable and unsafe.
"This will make life harder for families who drive 4WDs and result in the undesirable situation where children have to be dropped off at considerable distances away from the school, forcing them to walk and exposing them to greater risk from other traffic,” Mr Haley said.
Inverell's Ross Hill Primary principal Bob Niche said he felt any move to ban four-wheel drives from school zones would be an over-the-top reaction.
"I think it's a gut reaction to an unfortunate incident,” Mr Niche said.
"In today's society people love to be able to blame somebody,” he said.
Mr Niche said that in the country it was a totally different story to the city, as many people drove four-wheel-drives out of necessity.
Mr Niche also introduced the important point that four-wheel drives where not the only heavy vehicles that drove on, or near school grounds.
He pointed to buses, delivery vehicles, and waste disposal trucks and questioned what kind of problems might be seen if these vehicles, as well as four-wheel drives, were to be banned from entering a designated school zone.
In an NRMA report released last week, it was revealed that the visibility of some sedans was equally as bad as that of four-wheel drives.
The Holden Commodore VX sedan was one of six cars with the worst visibility while reversing, the NRMA research revealed.
While four-wheel drive models are among the worst, they are not the only category of car with poor visibility while reversing, the report said.
"Many [four-wheel drive vehicles] perform better than popular sedans," the report said.
