The arguments

First of all, you may have seen many arguments against driving 4x4's on our streets. The sad truth is that many of these "facts" have been drawn from American websites, with American figures.

Whilst some of these figures and opinions may be valid in the UK, not all of them are. This site is based on UK information, and on UK opinions. We do not call our people carriers "Minivans", nor do we call our vehicles "SUV's" or "Sedans"

There are many arguments and accusations levelled at 4x4 owners. Some have a degree of truth, but sadly, many more are based on selective information, tabloid hype and over-emotive, baseless rhetoric.

Some of the more general discussion points are detailed below, with specific sections of the site dedicated to environmental issues and financial matters.

The first thing to discuss is a question which the anti-4x4 campaign have yet to adequately answer :
What is a 4x4 ?
There are many vehicles on the road today, in many shapes and sizes. Many "cars" are equipped with four wheel drive, and many "Off Roaders" are 2 wheel drive only whilst on the tarmac.
Without very careful definition, a blanket law to "Ban 4x4s" would end up affecting far more people than first considered.

Now just recently, the 'anti' campaign has sought to clarify their targets, saying "The 'big 4x4s' we talk about are those tall, chunky cars designed for heavy-duty off-road work and their many imitators." (from the Alliance against Urban 4x4s). We say that this is still a vague and directionless statement. We feel that these sort of generalisations are dangerous and counter-productive.

The following are some genuine arguments made against 4x4 vehicles and in the campaign to get them banned. (Taken from the Alliance against Urban 4x4s Website)

"We only want to ban 4x4s from the City"
First off, what is a 4x4 ? The Audi Allroad is to all intents and purposes an estate car, but it has 4 wheel drive... should we ban them ?
If we could sucessfully define a 4x4, then what ? Do we have exclusion zones ? That's what some people want. How does that work for people who only own a 4wd vehicle, and are "allowed" to do so by the campaigners ?
If I live in the countryside and own a "legitimate" 4wd, how do I get into the town ? Maybe I should run 2 cars.. and save the environment !

An "urban" ban on 4x4s WILL have an effect on their use throughout the country. As with so many things, campaigners seem to believe that what happens in London somehow doesn't affect the rest of the people in the UK, or that they deserve some special treatment.

"4x4s are terrible for the environment"
Pretty much all cars are I'm afraid. See our environment page for a few facts about the "evil" 4x4

"Most larger cars can tow like a 4x4"
This is simply not true. The towing capacity of the average 4x4 is far in excess of a large saloon car. This means that with a big load, they are MORE stable and have MORE braking capacity.. not less.

"If you have to move a heavy load, use a removal company"
So they can bring along a 9 litre engined lorry to do the job for you......

"If you are a farmer or your job is to tow equipment, we have no argument with you"
That's very generous... however, the continued demonisation of 4x4 owners will have an effect on them, and the results of an anti-4x4 campaign have the potential to hurt them finiancially. Everything we do has it's consequences.

"you are still more likely to run down your neighbours kids"
If you are the sort of person who is likely to run down your neighbours children, then the car won't change that. Improve your driving, talk to your neighbours and educate your children to the hazards and dangers of the road.

"You don't have a right to carry weapons, incite hatred or other anti-social behaviour so why would you have right to mow people down in the street in your 4x4?"
I think this most clearly illustrates the level of argument that the anti-4x4 campaign needs to resort to in order to gain some support. It is personally offensive to 4x4 owners and hopefully to any sane-minded motorist. If it is a credible argument that a 4x4 owner feels they have the "right" to "mow people down", purely through their choice of vehicle, then the world truly has gone mad.

And a few more things that you may not know :

• 4x4 owners clubs all over the country provide valuable support to the emergency services, local authorities and communities. In bad weather, these groups of volunteers help to reach accident victims, provide assistance to meals on wheels services, and assist in search and rescue operations. Without 4x4s, these people would just be sitting at home, watching the news like everybody else.
• Many 4x4 owners are enthusiasts, they are members of vehicle clubs and as such tend to keep their vehicles for longer, maintain them and run them for more than the all too common 3 year turnover. This is far better for the environment than changing every few years. The amount of energy required to produce a new car is massive.
• A lot of 4x4 owners are not rich show offs... we would say that most are not in fact. Many 4x4 owners have only one vehicle, and choose the 4x4 as the most adaptable and practical.
• 4x4 owners are not faceless, evil people, intent on destroying the world and maiming their fellow road users. They are normal people who have exercised their right to choose.