How is it that the one profession that people are allowed to not comply with any regulations are drivers? No I am not referring to racing drivers, I am referring to the paid drivers who shuttle people and goods around our country. Drivers who drive branded vehicles which represent the companies they work for.
I was recently driving behind a shuttle company with a big maximum 100 speed sign on the back and at one point we were doing 160km/h. We drove at an average speed of 140km/h for the 30 odd km that I followed him. Now here comes the crux of the matter. Yes we were both speeding, but he is getting paid to drive and so should be complying with the law as one on a building site would have to comply with health and safety regulations.
A builder would be fined/jailed for failing to comply to safety regulations should someone be injured on a site and yet a professional driver does not face the same when causing an accident and injuring someone.
I believe that paid / professional drivers should be more liable when it comes to failure to comply to regulations i.e. they should be fined 3 times the norm for speeding.
Going back to the fact that I was also speeding (and yes it was wrong), the fundamental difference is I was driving a new, well maintained vehicle which cost twice the price of the bus and had ABS, and all the other acronyms that imply safety as apposed to a bus full of people that has non of the above.
Speeding is against the law no matter what you drive. (Just so we are clear).
Check out one of my earlier blogs on this matter Speed Kills
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Beauty v Beast
Spent the weekend with a wide selection of off road vehicles and I think in my mind at least I have resolved the answer to the question of soft roader (SUV) versus full 4x4.
There is a ongoing argument as to what defines a Soft Roader v a full 4x4, but for the purposes of this debate a soft roader is a station wagon type vehicle with all wheel drive and slightly raised ground clearance, a 4x4 is a vehicle with all wheel drive and raised suspension and low range.
The long and the short of it is, in general the soft roader is an incredibly competent vehicle.Well deserving of there reputation but (and yes there is a but) these vehicles are superb on the road and more than capable on dirt roads even jeep tracks. However they are severly compromised by their low ground clearance and if they don't have traction control the smaller tires are not sufficient to give traction over very loose terrain. Also if you do take a Soft roader off road there is a good chance of breaking something as the Subaru did on Saturday when it dragged its towbar on the ground.
There is also the power factor, a twenty five year old Toyota Land Cruiser with low range can put down a ton more torque and can brute force its way through tough situations and since its not dragging it's rear or chassis on the ground you are less likely to tap off on the power when hitting the obstacle.
So all in all if your looking to go anywhere in any kind of weather conditions then a real 4x4 is the vehicle for you. However if your the kind of person who leave the beaten track, but still follow the trail on the map then a soft roader is possibly the vehicle for you.
There is a ongoing argument as to what defines a Soft Roader v a full 4x4, but for the purposes of this debate a soft roader is a station wagon type vehicle with all wheel drive and slightly raised ground clearance, a 4x4 is a vehicle with all wheel drive and raised suspension and low range.
The long and the short of it is, in general the soft roader is an incredibly competent vehicle.Well deserving of there reputation but (and yes there is a but) these vehicles are superb on the road and more than capable on dirt roads even jeep tracks. However they are severly compromised by their low ground clearance and if they don't have traction control the smaller tires are not sufficient to give traction over very loose terrain. Also if you do take a Soft roader off road there is a good chance of breaking something as the Subaru did on Saturday when it dragged its towbar on the ground.
There is also the power factor, a twenty five year old Toyota Land Cruiser with low range can put down a ton more torque and can brute force its way through tough situations and since its not dragging it's rear or chassis on the ground you are less likely to tap off on the power when hitting the obstacle.
So all in all if your looking to go anywhere in any kind of weather conditions then a real 4x4 is the vehicle for you. However if your the kind of person who leave the beaten track, but still follow the trail on the map then a soft roader is possibly the vehicle for you.
Can you take a soft roader off road? Yes!
Would you want to? No!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
