kwackers wrote:pwa wrote: Anyone who can pass a normal driving test could just take it a bit easier and pass a test for a large 4x4. It is what happens after the test that matters.
Indeed. But most 4x4's are bought for show. Having to take a test would discourage those who really didn't need one and even if one person in the family felt the desire to own one it's quite possible their partner might not want to do the test.
Also, most folk who drive them don't appreciate their physical properties. They're engineered and programmed to 'feel' like normal cars so they get driven like them - right up to the point where it all goes a bit pear shaped and physics takes over. A test could include explaining why they're not normal cars and that can only be a good thing.
TBH, I'm not against 4x4's as such. But I think there should be a minimum pedestrian safety 'value' and over the years the bar should be raised. I also think that the PLG license class shouldn't include vehicles that weigh neigh on 3 tonnes...
I have a pre-1997 licence that allows me to drive all sorts of vehicles, most of which I have now got round to driving. I agree that cars (including things like Rangerovers) should be more and more designed with crash-friendly features in mind. Sloping bonnets with soft areas, for example.