4x4s Get Off the Road

[andycwb]

From an ITV flyer that I've been passed a copy of.

Do we need big 4x4s in our town centres?
Are they really more polluting or dangerous?
Does our consumerist market justify their ownership?
ITV1 wants YOUR COMMENTS for a
new prime-time driving series.
“DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!”
If you really, really love them...
or
If you really, really hate them...
Contact us on: 0207 633 2838
or email: drivingmecrazy@itv.com

I've just sent them a fairly long and detailed reply.  I'd encourage as many people as possible to do the same.  Let's make sure they get lots of pro-4x4 responses.

[wing nut]

done  my bit  :lol:  :lol:  i suggested if the government did away with road tax ,and placed it on fuel, then company drivers and alike would have to pay ,instead of someone who has a 4x4 who may only use it at the weekend.i mentioned i had a landrover and how much i liked it and stated it was no less polluting than john prescott's jag :lol:

[Bush Tucker Man]

This is also being discussed on LRUK

[V8MoneyPit]

The questions are presented in a biased manner before they even start though. So I think I can guess what the programme will end up like.

If it was more balanced it would read something like:
What are your views on larger vehicles in inner cities?

'Do we need big 4x4's in our cities?' is almost answering itself in the use of the word 'need'. Nobody 'needs' anything. With the exception of food and water. And why single out '4x4'? They should really employ more professional researchers if that's the best they can do.

[Nick666]

*shrug* it's like Panorama, they're just editorials/opinions dressed up as documentaries. Total waste of time, and a disgrace to respectable journalism. I've complained to the BBC several times about the tabloid-quality of Panorama, but had no effect yet ;)

[V8MoneyPit]

So, I've put my money where my mouth is and e-mailed them:

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
I have just got to hear of your forthcoming programme. I understand your flyer reads:
 
Do we need big 4x4s in our town centres?
Are they really more polluting or dangerous?
Does our consumerist market justify their ownership?
ITV1 wants YOUR COMMENTS for a
new prime-time driving series.
“DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!”
If you really, really love them...
or
If you really, really hate them...
Contact us on: 0207 633 2838
or email: drivingmecrazy@itv.com
 
It is my opinion that the questions are presented in a biased manner before you even start. Unfortunately, this leads me to think I already know what the tone of the programme will be like.

If it was more balanced it would read something like:
What are your views on larger vehicles in inner cities?

'Do we need big 4x4's in our cities?' is almost answering itself in the use of the word 'need'. Nobody 'needs' anything. With the exception of food and water. And why single out 4x4's? You should really employ more professional researchers if that's the best they can do.
 
In answer to your questions though......
 
'Big 4x4's':
Most 4x4's are no larger than many saloon cars. So they certainly don't generate greater congestion than many other vehicles. Let me pick an example:
Land Rover Discovery - 4.84m long
Ford Mondeo - 4.8m long
A Mondeo is not exactly a huge car by any standards.
So if you are questioning whether we should have 4x4's in our cities, you should really be asking whether we should have any private vehicular transport in our cities.
 
Pollution:
Well, in real life (not those misleading perfect world figures produced by manufacturers!), the fuel consumption of most 4x4's is not vastly different to saloon cars of similar size.
 
Dangerous:
It depends on what you define as dangerous. A vehicle is an inanimate object and, as such, cannot be dangerous. Put a driver behind the wheel and any vehicle is a potential weapon. Unfortunately, too many people see vehicle safety in the secondary sense. i.e. after a crash occurs. The day people realise that crashing is not an inevitability and can be avoided by addressing primary safety issues, the road will be a safer place. It is the driver who is unsafe, not the vehicle. It's about time someone pointed this out to the masses.

Does our consumerist market justify their ownership?:
This question applies to any consumer product. The manufacturing of which causes more pollution than any car pumps out of it's exhaust. In order to change this, you would first have to fundamentally change the attitudes and life expectations of those living in the developed world.
 
I do hope you manage to put together a balanced and realistic programme. Unfortunately, this is a subject that is currently in vogue and there is a lot of poor, and sometimes totally misleading, information floating about on both sides of the argument. As you have probably gathered, I think people are missing the point in targeting a minority group. There is a much bigger picture that we really ought to be looking at.
 
Yours faithfully,
Steve Nash

[scania]

Wow steve

errrrrrrrr do you know a certain man is leaving No 10 in May, with a speech like that you should apply lol

Seriously tho, I get 45 mpg from my 4x4, its comfortable and definalty has less emmisions than the guy with the knackered peugot 2 doors down.

I got verbally attached in a certain A**A superstore the other day. i parked in a bay, opened my door carefuly and this bloke started swearing and shouting at me. "Mind where you*** park with your *** jeep, think you can park where you *** want"


duhhhhhhhh! well in a car park I suppose I can     :lol:

[steve howes]

crickey steve i wish i was that articulate, nice one mate! :lol:

[wing nut]

ive just had a reply and the women has left her number for me to contact her  :lol:  :lol:

[jaws]

scania Seriously tho, I get 45 mpg from my 4x4, its comfortable and definalty has less emmisions than the guy with the knackered peugot 2 doors down.  

45mpg wow!from my brand new festa st i get 30mpg if i'm lucky!not had the 90 longenough to see what that does but i bet it's more than the fezzi!

[andycwb]

I've just had a long conversation with their researcher.

She confesses to being deliberately provocative in the flyer.  I'd have suggested putting "why don't you get a Land Rover" flyers on Ford Kas if she wanted to do that, but that would have got even more of an "anti" response.

Which brings me on to the real point: almost all of the reaction she's had to date has been from the anti-4x4 commnuity.  They are really keen to get stories from 4x4 enthusiasts, and the urban 4x4 crowd as well.   Especially good are any "rescue" stories - there are enough good samaritan stories from MC members on here to fuel some good coverage.

This is a REAL opportunity for us to publicly put 4x4 enthusiasts in a good light.

If you can help by contactacing the programme directly, or providing material I can pass onto them (I'm happy to do a little editing and I've had some limited press training), please do so.

[JeepRikk]

I just sent an email in regarding myself using a 4x4 and disabled access to the countryside, see what happens.

[Grant]

from 4x4 enthusiasts, and the urban 4x4 crowd as well

Just want to point out something that bugs me- you dont have to be either or! Fair enough, finchley where i live is hardly the outback but just because i live here doesnt mean i cant drive out!

Would they prefer it if i had a whole fleet of different cars to suit every journey i make?

[baileys_1984]

like most our 3.9 rr runs on gas we dont get a reduction on tax like new cars on gas we even asked at local dvla why our tax is not cheaper and they could not give us an answer we will never be able to afford a new car and hubby has a bad back and getting in and out of small cars hurt his back

[V8MoneyPit]

Wow steve

errrrrrrrr do you know a certain man is leaving No 10 in May, with a speech like that you should apply lol

That just doesn't make sense...... I actually answered the questions which is the last thing the PM does!

Hmmmm...... how much does the PM earn? Oh, sorry, it's not meant to be about the money is it?  :lol:

[att]

This is a copy of what I have sent...

Do we need big 4x4s in our town centres?

 

No, of course not.


Are they really more polluting or dangerous?

 

This is totally reliant upon the owner being socially responsible, in both driving attitude and regular servicing of the vehicle, so the answer therefore is no.


Does our consumerist market justify their ownership?

 

Does it justify the ownership of anything or everything?

We survive in a capitalist environment, therefore greed is the motivation for many things we do not need, question is a tad pointless in my opinion.

 

I own a 4X4 truck and use it for my work, the Govt. made it tax friendly, therefore I purchased it over a normal car.

I have used it numerous times to rescue stranded vehicles and it has enabled me to get to my place of work in extreme weather conditions, this is justification enough for myself, I work in a rural area, thus in extreme weather it has proved invaluable.

 

I have also purchased the most environmentally friendly vehicle you can buy, for my wife to use, a Toyota Aygo……I see both sides of the argument here, I am most unimpressed by the both.

Yours...............................
 
[/b]

[unknownmanxman]

Perhaps we should forward them the link to 4x4 prejudice

[andycwb]

I've already sent her that link, and a bunch of "rescue" stories from here to show what a great bunch of guys we all are :-)

[lostdreamer]

Why do I choose to drive a 4x4?

Because I can. Because it is fun. I like driving to interesting places, and seeing the countryside. Could I walk there? Maybe. But I choose not to.

I choose to drive a convertible car that doesn’t mind if it is raining slightly when the roof is down.

I choose to drive a car such that when I go camping I don’t need to worry about getting stuck in the field.

And yes, everybody laughs. Until they have a sofa that they need to move across town. Until they have a garden full of rubbish that they don’t want to put in their saloon. Until the rain is coming down in sheets, the puddle is a little a deeper than they expected and I end up fishing the tow rope out – even if I havn’t met them before. Until I take them for a drive and see more by car in a day than I would on foot in a week.

[way2deep]

sent my views in, :D  :D .wonder if i will get a reply  :?:

[JeepRikk]

Got a reply back saying she will be in touch, see what happens :)

[DaveS]

Sent a e-mail too giving our reasons, did'nt mention the off road toy! :D

[V8MoneyPit]

Yep! I've had a reply. Very reasoned and constructive. I still don't think the method of asking the questions was correct, but she has explained the reasons why it was done.... purely to be provocative and invoke a reaction. But I maintain this biases the responses rather. Companies spend hundreds of thousands of Pounds to ensure survey questions are written in a nuetral way to avoid influencing answers. I feel journalistic research *should* be carried out in the same way.

Or maybe I am expecting eutopia in an inperfect world.

[Driving Me Crazy]

Dear Mud-Club.

I would like to inform anyone who wants to contact the "Driving Me Crazy" ITV series with comments, opinions or feedback as mentioned in our flyer that the phone number is actually 020 633 2833.
Apologies for misprint on our flyer.
The Email address is correct as drivingmecrazy@itv.com

Kind regards
Driving Me Crazy Production Team
ITV
London
SE1 8DJ

[blackbob]

got a reply and can i give her a call
It would be good to speak to you about your views and whether you would like to contribute to this documentary to say something positive about 4x4s and their uses.

 

My contact details are below

 Kindest Regards

 Catherine Dulla

Researcher

"Driving Me Crazy"
ITV
T: 0207 633 2664

F: 0207 633 2747
16 Hatfields, London, SE1 8DJ, England

[V8MoneyPit]

Any more contact on this one?

After establishing I wasn't an appropriate person to contribute to the programme (I live in the country, so I can hardly argue the case for urban 4x4's) I haven't heard anything more. Has anyone else been invited to contribute?

[JeepRikk]

Yep I had a phone call and you may see my pretty face ;)

[Bishops Finger]

Just mailed them as well  :D

[discomummy]

Hi,

Just sent an email telling her i am a school run 4wd owner - then continued to tell her what else i do,  lets see if i get a response?

regards

ela

[muddyjames]

Ive sent my bit in. I can post it here if people really want to see it!!