Just been on the ABD (Association of British Drivers) website and found these 'facts'.
FACTSHEET Anti-4x4 ranters are typically heavy on emotive claptrap and short on facts (mainly because they haven't got any facts), so here are some facts:
CONGESTION - 4x4s are insignificant contributors to congestion and those that do sit in jams actually improve matters! a.. Unlike their US counterparts, European 4x4s have a smaller 'footprint' on the road than similarly priced saloons. A Range Rover is 20cm shorter than a Mercedes S class, and a Toyota RAV4 is a massive 47cm shorter than a Ford Mondeo! b.. 4x4 vehicles account for only 3% of the cars on the road - that means that in London there are three times as many buses and fifteen times as many taxis entering the central area every day than 4x4s (figures from TfL) FUEL CONSUMPTION & USAGE - 4x4s in the UK are very different from those in the US. There is already a big incentive to buy fuel efficient vehicles (called fuel duty) and most people opt for the most economical 4x4s. a.. Fuel consumption figures for 4x4s vary greatly, but the vast majority sold in the UK are diesel engined and do between 25 and 42mpg - they are comparable to family saloons not '12mpg gas guzzlers' b.. Luxury 4x4 vehicles sold in the UK average 27.4mpg according to Spyder Automotive, comparing well with the 28.4mpg achieved by luxury saloons and
27mpg for premium sports cars. c.. The Honda CRV 2.2d manages 42 mpg combined, the seven seat Discovery TDV6 does 30mpg. The new Lexus RX400h hybrid delivers 32mpg despite having a powerful petrol engine and automatic transmission. d.. 4x4s that do consume more fuel than average also have drivers that already pay more fuel duty, because over 70% of the price of fuel is tax. This is the biggest incentive to restrict sales of these vehicles, and its working. The Land Rover Discovery is the best selling heavy duty 4x4 and 99% of buyers opt for the 30mpg diesel rather than the petrol engined models featured in the publicity material of the anti 4x4 groups e.. A fairer comparison on fuel consumption would take into account usage annual mileage - many 4x4s are used for towing and carrying whilst longer trips are made by the second family car. f.. A 4x4 can provide transport for up to 9 people at a time (Defender 110 Station Wagon) g.. Older petrol engined 4x4s invariably either do a very low annual mileage or are converted to environmentally friendly LPG. These are usually bought due to real customer need - off road use or heavy duty towing. TAXATION - special taxes on 4x4s would be unfair on those who really need them - and, anyway, what is a 4x4? a.. The Environment Transport Agency says that drivers have been hit too hard by the carbon debate b.. Other forms of taxation on 4x4s (higher VED or congestion charge) would be less fair than fuel duty and they would penalise: - essential users like farmers along with urban dwellers - those who do a low mileage and so dont burn much fuel - those who choose a more economical 4x4c.. Transport for London recently admitted that they could not define a
4x4 robustly. There are many 4x4 cars on the road, like the Jaguar X TYPE and the Audi Quattro models. Equally, some 4x4 models like the Nissan X-Trail are available with front wheel drive only. SAFETY - 4x4s are inherently safer vehicles than normal cars and so cost less to insure - increasingly they are packed with technology that makes them even safer a.. All types of car will have to meet the same stringent pedestrian impact tests (new models from 2006, all cars from 2011). The Honda CR-V (the second best selling 4x4 in the UK) already achieves the top rated NCAP 3 star rating for pedestrian safety b.. DfT and Government Office statistics show that buses are bigger killers of pedestrians (per km driven) than all cars, and that Light Commercials typified by the Ford Transit, which have similar dimensions and driving positions to 4x4s, are actually the safest group of vehicles on the road in terms of pedestrian deaths and injuries. c.. Arguments about weight in car to car impacts could equally apply to all cars - a new VW Golf GTI weighs twice as much as the 1970's original, largely due to better crash performance and increased safety features. d.. 4 wheel drive makes cars safer in poor road conditions, and the higher driving position of SUVs gives a better view of the road ahead, which is the most crucial accident avoidance measure of all e.. Most of the more expensive 4x4s are now fitted with parking sensors that aid manoeuvring in tight spaces, reducing the risk of hitting low objects like children - close to the vehicle f.. 4x4s typically have lower insurance groupings than similarly priced saloons indicating a better safety record