Health - The War Against 4 x 4 s

The war against 4x4 vehicles is well documented: with a few exceptions, they tend to be hellish gas guzzlers, especially if equipped with permanent 4 wheel drive. As a result they belch out considerably more pollution into the atmosphere than a regular car. Now recent reports suggest an even worse hazard: poor visibility.

Many 4x4 drivers claim visibility as a plus point for their chosen vehicle – you sit higher up so therefore you can see further ahead. And yes, on a straight country road this may well be the case. But in reality, most of these monster vehicles spend more time on the school run than they do venturing down the green lanes of the countryside. In a recent test, 9 children were lined up behind a 4x4 and the driver could not see any of them, despite checking all rear view mirrors.

It’s a scary thought which adds further fuel to the familiar arguments against the 4x4 phenomenon: do people need such an uneconomical and environmentally unfriendly vehicle for everyday driving needs around town? Indeed, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have deemed 4x4s as "unsuitable for city and town use", adding that smaller cars like hatchbacks and people carriers have been found to outperform 4x4s in crash tests. Research by Churchill Insurance showed that 4x4s were 25% more likely to be involved in accidents than an average family car.

Meanwhile, environmentalist groups are waging war on these vehicles with a vengeance: Greenpeace favour a huge £1,800-a-year excise duty for 4x4s and also want advertising banned. Then there’s the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s, a group dedicated to stamping out 4x4s in town. They say “We are completely opposed to any sort of vandalism or verbal abuse. We think the way to change people’s attitudes is by persuasion. We like to use humour, rather than aggression.” But the message is clear: if you’re serious about going green, forget the 4x4 and get yourself a proper car. And whatever you decide, for goodness sake make sure you can see young pedestrians when you check your mirrors and windows.

• Less than 5% of 4x4s in the UK are actually used off road

• Research in the US shows that someone struck by a 4x4 is more than twice as likely to die as someone hit by a saloon car travelling at the same speed

www.businessinberkshire.co.uk/businessinlondon

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[ The War Against 4 x 4 s ]

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