Bull Bar Ban

[drew9242]

Just wondering what your thoughts were on this subject.

I own a 4wd and a Bull bar for a place to put some lights and a UHF Arieal. Both are used when going out bush. However i live in a city of 30,000. I just can't understand why the government thinks it is a good idea to ban them, just because some dip shit down the road didn't look before he crossed.

 

[raven19]

Not sure which situation or area this poll refers to, but I notice as a cyclist (and motorcyclist) the number of people that take their safety on or near the road for granted. I'd be a rich man if I had a dollar for everytime a pedestrian walked out infront of me into a bike lane on my daily commute.

People need to take some level of personal responsibility for their own safety.

 

[drew9242]

The Government is proposing to ban all bull bars. Because the pedestrian council think they are a risk. But if they looked where they were goin this wouldn't be a problem.

I also use a bull bar for work to tak 6m lengths of timber to job sites.

The government musn't think that many people will be impacted by this new law

 

[tourist]

Just wondering what your thoughts were on this subject.

I own a 4wd and a Bull bar for a place to put some lights and a UHF Arieal. Both are used when going out bush.

I don't support the use of bullbars (or 4WDs) in urban areas. Your reasoning for having a bullbar seem pretty lame to me - are there no other options to mount lights and stuff that you sometimes use? The bullbars must be pretty heavy and apparently dangerous to pedestrians, so by my way of thinking, there are more intelligent options for the uses you describe.

Nothing like a bit of Friday night biffo, is there???

 

[Pollux]

I grew up in the country, every car in our household had a 5 poster......

I personally am happy for them to remain on vehicles that need them, but how to judge that, no idea???

 

[Peteoz77]

I don't have a bull bar, and I don't need one. But if I wanted one, I should be allowed to adorn my 4WD with whatever type of bars I like. I mean seriously they want to BAN them... because 1-2 Pedestrians a year (that need to pay more attention to where they step out) might get hit by a vehicle that has one attached. At the end of the day, is a hood and bumper less damaging on your skull than a bull bar? I don't want to get hit by ANY vehicle, but I don't see how a bull bar is more dangerous....

 

[tourist]

because 1-2 Pedestrians a year

source?

 

[Jimbeer]

You'll still get pretty messed up being hit by a car that doesn't have a bull bar. I think the government should ban more important things, like the use of the Australian flag as a cape. In my eyes, bull bars aren't so dangerous that there needs to be a ban.

 

[drew9242]

I don't support the use of bullbars (or 4WDs) in urban areas. Your reasoning for having a bullbar seem pretty lame to me - are there no other options to mount lights and stuff that you sometimes use? The bullbars must be pretty heavy and apparently dangerous to pedestrians, so by my way of thinking, there are more intelligent options for the uses you describe.

Nothing like a bit of Friday night biffo, is there???

Hehe yea might aswell.

My reasoning is so i don't have to take my car into that garage whenever i go out bush andhit a kangaroo (or what ever wildlife there is). But because in the city they actually have pedestrians (what the s**t are they i never see them) that are numbskulls with their Ipods blaring away or talking on the phone think that they own the road, (when really vechile user pay for it) don't look where they are going and get hit by a car. Ohh s**t i didn't expect that to happen. But in the end it is the cars fault for such a tradgedy. Might aswell ban cars while we at it, then the pedestrians will be safe.

My point is Bull bars might be more dangerous if someone walks in the way of one. But being F**king weak as piss aussies, we try and blame something else for such a misfortune.

In my area of the state i have heard of more deaths from somone hitting a kangaroo then from being hit by a car. And all the people hit by a car were that drunk they didn't know what they were doing.

Just as a interesting fact the insurance company has over 25000 claims for animal strike a year. Just imagine if only 1% of them were fatal when we ban Bull Bars, thats another 25 deaths on the roads, doesn't sound that safe to me.

 

[Yob]

"Possible Rant"

I have a bull bar on a teeny weent little subaru (92) and I personally would like to think that Im far more likely to hit a roo on my way snowboarding at half 3 in the morning, which stops it from sitting in my lap, than any person in the city.. driving in the burbs Im a freakin nanna, always thinkin about kids jumpin out between cars.. shivver...

but thats just me and I am very concious about it as I believe all drivers should be.. I believe "everyone" who has held a liscence for 5 years should have an advanced driver course, much like the system now for 'learners'. Adults make bad driving habbits quickly that become 2nd nature and there are few fo us who cant learn more about better car behaviour and handelling.

bull bars... pffff.. driver education? now ya talkin..

<_<

[edit] rant clarity

 

[DUANNE]

i dont see much of a problem with bullbars, but why does any one need a 4wd in the middle of the city. much more of a problem in my opinion. the combination of piss poor visibility around the vehicle and a larger mass is in my mind much more of a danger in a city/suburban setting. it always makes me laugh though when you see a wanker in a toorak tractor wincing aboout driving over a gutter or a tiny little pothole though.

 

[Dave70]

Out my way I see plenty of knob ends driving XD Falcon or Commodore utes with alloy bars more suited to an interstate road train.
You know the ones, adorned with RUM PIG stickers and straight through pipes with flappy ends.
It seems to be more a fashion statement than a practical application.

Having said that, if you have ever collected a roo at speed, or any wayward animal with a mass larger than a cat (and I sure have), solid frontal protection can make the difference between driving home or sitting there waiting for help with a busted radiator - or worse.
Country or rural miles equals spotties and bull bar in my book, it's common sense really.

 

[MarkBastard]

I don't use a bull-bar and I doubt I ever will, but I 100% do not want them banned because I'm not a ******* wowser and odds are once they're finished banning bull bars they'll come after something I like and try and ban that as well.

The only people that should have their freedom restricted are the ones that are so obsessed with restricting everyone's freedom. Round them up and shoot the bastards.

 

[drew9242]

I don't use a bull-bar and I doubt I ever will, but I 100% do not want them banned because I'm not a ******* wowser and odds are once they're finished banning bull bars they'll come after something I like and try and ban that as well.

The only people that should have their freedom restricted are the ones that are so obsessed with restricting everyone's freedom. Round them up and shoot the bastards.

To true, soon they will try ban beer cause they think it is bad for you.

 

[Pollux]

Can't ban beer, there is too much excise to be made.........

iamozziyob hit the nail on the head.........Driver education is shit in this country, most people are taught by their parents who by that age have developed a mountain of bad driving habits themselves. Consider the whole "speed kills" line.....If this were true the autobarns of Germany would be rivers of blood.......

 

[yardy]

on a weekly basis i leave Bundy at 3.30am to be in Gladstone for a 6.00 am start when I'm kicking off my roster, I've hit some big roos over the last couple of years, without a doubt one of them would've been close to a write off, it tore 100mm welds on an ECB Bullbar and stuffed both universal joints on the tailshaft because the impact/shock was that great.

they can have my bullbar if they're prepared to send a pilot vehicle ahead of me

go ahead and limit them for the wankers that never see a minor road let alone dirt, how you would police that i dont know...

Dave

 

[Fourstar]

Driver education is shit in this country, most people are taught by their parents who by that age have developed a mountain of bad driving habits themselves.

Ha! Tell me about it. After having a handful of professional lessons when i was a teenager and then driving with my folks they never understood why i kept looking over my right or left shoulder when merging. Who's to think a 15 year old can teach a 50 year old something about driving!

Every person that cuts me off on the freeway and almost takes my front end out, 95% of the time they are over the age of 50 and have NFI what a blind spot is on their mirrors. I recently merged across 3 of 4 lanes of the eastern FWY due to some old bird almost taking my front end out and ignorant to the sounds of my horn.

But back on the original topic. There should be restrictions on the types of vehicles and their accessories when owned and driven in the CBD or INNER suburbs. Big bullbars with 4 pronged fishing rod holders you used only once when you went for a trip to the NT are not appropriate for inner, high density driving. The one thing that grinds my gears the most are those soccer mums in their range rover who have to make 25 point turns to get out of their parking spot at woolies and act like they are performing in a monster truck show.

You buy and own a vechile for its application suitable to your environment and your lifestyle requirements. Most of the time this is the case. Alot of the time its a fashion statement.

 

[haysie]

I dont think there should be any restrictions at all. Another case of nanny society.
Nannies need to have a look at the dumbass pedestrians with ipods, phones in their ears crossing streets. who is now sueing because nobody came to her aid.

 

[tourist]

I dont think there should be any restrictions at all. Another case of nanny society.
Nannies need to have a look at the dumbass pedestrians with ipods, phones in their ears crossing streets. who is now sueing because nobody came to her aid.

She probably drives a f*&king big 4WD with a f*%king big bull-bar - this is what, as a regular cyclist, scares the shit out of me. The less bull-bars (and 4wds) the better.

 

[DanRayner]

I don't have a bull bar, and I don't need one. But if I wanted one, I should be allowed to adorn my 4WD with whatever type of bars I like. I mean seriously they want to BAN them... because 1-2 Pedestrians a year (that need to pay more attention to where they step out) might get hit by a vehicle that has one attached. At the end of the day, is a hood and bumper less damaging on your skull than a bull bar? I don't want to get hit by ANY vehicle, but I don't see how a bull bar is more dangerous....

So by the same logic, you should be allowed to put some kind of pedestrian-killing spikes on the front of your car just cos you want to?

Vehicles (that drive on public roads regulated by governments) are designed to have crumple-zones for a reason. Putting a bull bar on your car negates the crumple-zones that have been designed for driver, passenger and pedestrian safety.

If the government bans them and you need a bull bar for your off-road bush-bashing then fair enough but you should get a trailer to transport that vehicle while on public roads - just like people do for off-road bikes, tractors, back-hoes, combine harvesters, ride-on lawn-movers and other vehicles that are not safe for public roads, etc etc etc

Or maybe we could get bull bars like roof-racks - that can be installed and removed easily - if you need them off-road work but not on roads then why not whack 'em on and pull them off when you need to?

I think the government should ban more important things, like the use of the Australian flag as a cape.

I agree with this one! But then how could we tell when someone is an ignorant, racist bogan if they aren't wearing the Aussie flag as a cape?