Thread: Mandatory 4wd Licencing- soon to be a reality.

Originally posted by DiscoTDI
I think it is a great idea, its easy for me to say it though as I have a heavy rigid truck license [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

I think its a top idea, i was going to do the training anyway, maybe now we will get those soccer mums out of 4wds, i think that has been the agenda all along, people are concerned about 4wds in the city, by introducing compulsory training those who dont need a 4wd and who have no interest in heading bush might ditch the 4wd because if the increased effort needed to own one. Matt

How are they going to define a 4wd for licencing purposes.

There are plenty of passenger vehicles performance or otherwise that have a 4wd transmission.

If they do it by weight then the cutoff is going to be pretty fine, for example defenders in hardtop or traybay configuration are not far of passenger vehicle weights.

The lines get even more blurred when you compare something like a Suzuki Siera and a Subaru Imprezza.
By simple definitions like transmission type, wheel diameter, weight payload etc these cars come in pretty similar, but the dynamics are very different.

I can't imagine somebody being too happy having to get a special licence to drive their new Jaguar or Audi.


Cheers
ken

It will come down to GVM of the vehicle, not many people know that you have to give way to vehicles over 2 ton

wont stop those who like to target 4wd owners because they cant see around us or for the fact they don't want 4wd's in the city, something to do with stupid pedestrians getting killed by 4wd's with bull bars and the fact that we who drive 4wd's sit high up then most cars so impact during an accident is more fatal for those we hit.

I say " don't pullout in front of me and I won't have to hit you so hard"

Originally posted by 4bd1
How are they going to define a 4wd for licencing purposes.

There are plenty of passenger vehicles performance or otherwise that have a 4wd transmission.

If they do it by weight then the cutoff is going to be pretty fine, for example defenders in hardtop or traybay configuration are not far of passenger vehicle weights.

The lines get even more blurred when you compare something like a Suzuki Siera and a Subaru Imprezza.
By simple definitions like transmission type, wheel diameter, weight payload etc these cars come in pretty similar, but the dynamics are very different.

I can't imagine somebody being too happy having to get a special licence to drive their new Jaguar or Audi.


Cheers
ken

Good point Ken, how do they define a 4wd. And why single out 4wd's, sports cars are more dangerous in the hands of the inexperienced than 4wds are. Matt

Common sense goes out the window when the government is in a hurry to fix some peceived problem raised by the media.

It's like the NSW idea of banning young drivers from driving particlar vehicles.
V8s for example.
Lets assume the young person is a responsible driver, ( they are not all maniacs).
What would be safer for a highway trip travelling at 100kph, an old EA Falcon or his dads near new V8 Fairlane, Statesman, Jag etc?
Total no brainer that one, but the V8 would have to stay home.

The vehicle dynamics, safety features etc don't enter into the argument.
Why?
Because it's easy to make general claims like V8s are dangerous 6 cylinders are OK. Getting hit by a 4wd is dangerous 2wds wont hurt you etc.



Cheers
Ken

Is it banning them from driving V8s, or is it similar to the vic laws about power to weight ratio limits. Personally I like the vic rules with the power restrictions, they need something like that here. Or maybe govern the p platers vehicles to a maximun 100kph. I know some will complain about overtaking ability on the highway etc, but wouldn't you rather your kids take longer to get there because they're stuck behind slower cars than not to get there at all :?:

Maybe the licensing laws would only consider vehicles with high and low range transfer cases to require special licenses. Tnen what about the people mover vans etc, they're just as dangerouse to pedestrians as a 4WD.

Disco95
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Is it banning them from driving V8s, or is it similar to the vic laws about power to weight ratio limits. Personally I like the vic rules with the power restrictions, they need something like that here. Or maybe govern the p platers vehicles to a maximun 100kph. I know some will complain about overtaking ability on the highway etc, but wouldn't you rather your kids take longer to get there because they're stuck behind slower cars than not to get there at all [/b][/quote]

Must agree with Disco95 here it seems to have worked for motorcyclists.

On a special licence for 4WDs, well some sort of training at least i think if you don't already have a heavy vehicle licence of coarse, maybe off road training would be good.

Baz.