Where will this all end? When will common sense and self accountability (as per EVERY other product purchase in Australia) prevail. People kill themselves with stupidity and lapse of concentration by sticking a knife into the toaster to get bread out .. so should we regulate the sale of toasters? ensuring everyone who purchases one has an annual registration fee for it and that they have been adequately trained in it's use? God forbid when we start talking of things like bandsaws, and (wait for it), the common house ladder, which in themselves have far higher injury rates attributed to their use on a daily basis than 4WD recovery equipment ... let's regulate them also ...
Yes, I'm on a rant, and nothing and nobody will alter my opinion on this. I love 4WD'ing and for those who've been out with me they would know I am an over the top, loud bloke who loves nothing more than taking the piss out of everything (and drinking a fair bit of piss also!! lol), HOWEVER, those same people would tell you that when it comes to 4WD'ing, I take a safety first approach to everything - not over cautious, just not stupid.
We have little statutes in Australia called ADR's, which generally speaking compared to much of the planet, are some of the strictest on offer in order for them to market and sell their product here (yes, there are loopholes, but I am talking majority for once - not the minority that usually have the loudest voices and the least common sense). There are little organisations called the ACCC, the Dept of Fair Trading, the state based Consumer Protection agencies, Consumer Affairs, etc which are all responsible for the protection of Australian consumers for ALL products and services on offer (we pay for this proliferation of bodies through our taxes people - they aren't provided through love and charity!). We go through the bullbar debate, which is far from over, and then we move on to snatch straps, tow straps, tree protectors, shackles, drag/recover chains, recovery points on the vehicles themselves, lifts, modifications, tyres, engineering, occupant safety, pedestrian safety, and the list goes on and on and on ... well, for me, I want NONE of it regulated.
As per my ridiculous example above, I can purchase any range of "deadly" appliances in this country from some of our major outlets (Bunnings, Mitre10, TrueValue, SuperCheap Auto, Repco, BCF, etc) and the only form of regulation on their distribution is the credit limit on your Visa card ... i.e. if you can afford it, you can have it, and like ALL products sold under the consumer banner, YOU and solely you are responsible for the safe and appropriate usage of that device (as per the little disclaimers on the side of most the cardboard boxes). Why is 4WD'ing any different?? I, me, the fat one am responsible for my purchases (which have already passed ALL those bodies mentioned above just to be able to be sold to me), the way in which I use those purchases, the relevant training involved in the use of those purchases, the safety principles applied to the use of those purchases, and the ongoing reliability of those purchases based on age and date.
Another stupid example to further argue my case - on this and every other motor vehicle forum, there are THOUSANDS if not HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS of questions about after market parts to replace swivel hubs, drag links, wheel bearings, brake calipers, engine parts, etc, etc and every single person bar very, very few, attempt to get the most life they can out of those parts with as little expense to themselves as possible. Most of the time, we only look for those parts when the old one has actually failed, so here's a thought, we should have a ntaional regulation (not just the pits that you have to go over in some states - you don't have to do squat in QLD other than pay your rego each year to keep a car on the road) that enforces an annual 456 point check (made up number!) of every piece of critical engine componentry, joints, links, fuel lines, brake lines, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, and the car should NOT be allowed back on the road until every fault or perished bush, etc is rectified ... oh, and by the way ... you pay for this - not a free service.
OR alternatively, we can start acting like f#cking Australians (not litigious Americans) and take ownership and accountability for the products we purchase that are freely and readily available in this country because they have been deemed by many so called authorities to be "fit for purpose" and meeting "Australian Design Regulations". Yes, I appreciate this isn't going to change government stance on review of this type of thing (because I say again, they have obviously sorted the homeless situation, the backlog of patients in the health system, our crippled schooling system, our foreign debt, our border defences against boat people, pollution levels from industry, our road infrastucture, etc to have time on their hands to discuss all things 4WD!!) but confronted with outright common sense that applies to just about EVERY other item procured in Australia, where does that leave them other than to say, "you're right, there are regulations in place, there are methods for policing compliance in place, and other than that, there is no more we as a government can do WITHOUT removing the democratic right of every Australian to experience this country at their leisure, in their vehicles, and using products that have already met stringent standards".
I'm sort of sick of it all to be perfectly honest and promise this will be my last rant on the subject - yes there are injuries and deaths caused by using 4WD's and 4WD products every year, and sometimes this is not through stupidity or lack of care - in those cases, it is a tragedy that sometimes genuine accidents do occur. But weigh the argument against the statistics of injury and death caused by other "devices" each year, and the argument speaks for itself - the number one injury in Australia year on year for the last gazillion years is ... wait for it ... cuts!!!! Let's regulate and enforce training (outside of what mummy and daddy taught us) for all sharp instruments that can cause cuts ... I for one am a huge supporter of things like this, as I have seen people using their steak knife at various restaurants I've been too in the past, and can't count the number of times I've thought to myself "geez, someone is going to get hurt here!!" ...
You get my point I'm sure ... rant complete ... some links below for interest and reference.
http://monash.edu/muarc/reports/Othe...20patterns.pdf
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety...stics_dl4.html
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6324.0
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@..../4825.0.55.001
An older one - but interesting read - not the comment that even with all the stats (and they are talking of much older 4WD's in this one), that they are still safer than vans, commercial vehicles and small cars, beaten only by large cars and "luxury" sedans ... again, this is prior to ABS, ESC, air bags, etc ...
http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/ecars/A/Safety2.html
http://www.austroads.com.au/pdf/Test..._16Nov_06_.pdf
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/r...-04/04rn27.htm
And that'll do for now ... if you made it through my diatribe above then give yourself a pat on the back!! lol
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