4WD drivers study (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=64616)

While hardly representative of the world... I feel exceptionally vindicated by this study. Over here, you can't get around in the city (especially the inner eastern suburbs) without being threatened or nearly killed by an idiot in a four-wheel drive that belongs elsewhere.

Anybody else have any thoughts about urban 4WDers?

i hate seeing people in hummers. i have never ever seen one dirty that i didn't make dirty myself. seems kind of a waste to have the best "all terrain" vehicle and have people in the city putting dubz on it and wings with neon lights etc.

When I went to the USA, I was blown away by how big all the cars were there. They are miles bigger than a car really needs to be. Lucky your petrol proces are so low otherwise you'd go broke just driving one of those huge cars down to the shops and back. In New Zealand, I would never be able to afford to run one of those monsters.

Ah yes, Chelsea Tractors. Used by London mothers to drive their little dears the 200 yards to the school gate. Old Red Ken (the London Mayor) is looking at upping the congestion charge for these monstrosities.

The ones I've seen 'round here are driven by timid soccer moms who only have them in order to pile more kids inside. I haven't heard about these vehicle getting into more accidents or running people down. Not up here anyway.

I almost resemble that remark, kuemper, except that I'm hardly timid and minivans hold more people than SUVs. ;)

Around here, there's some old bridges and underpasses that are a tight squeeze for two regular cars, let alone oversize vehicles. People were squawking about them for a while, but nothign changed until some local bureaucrat got his side mirror whacked off by an SUV on one of those bridges on his way to a Council meeting. All of a sudden, they're considering vehicle restrictions, fancy that.

Hey, not all 4WDs or SUVs are huge. I drive a Honda CRV -- ok, technically an AWD, not 4WD -- and I bet it gets better gas mileage than most.