4WD drivers more dangerous: study

Monday 31 July, 2006

4WD drivers more dangerous: study

4WD drivers more dangerous: study

Monday Jul 31 12:25 AEST

Motorists drive faster and brake harder when they get behind the wheel of a four-wheel drive, researchers have found.

Academics from Queensland University of Technology's (QUT) Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety tested a group of drivers who regularly use four-wheel drives, as well as other cars, and found their behaviour changed according to which car they were in.

Lead researcher Dr Andry Rakotonirainy said the 16 drivers were asked to travel a 24km route in Brisbane's northside, including suburban streets and highway travel, and found people drove faster in the four-wheel drives.

Mr Rakotonirainy said they also braked harder in four-wheel drives and gave themselves less distance to stop "despite being in a vehicle that weighed over three tonnes".

"At the moment there aren't any programs that specifically teach people how to drive a four-wheel drive in suburbia - which is where most of them go," said Mr Rakotonirainy.<o:p></o:p> "But driving children to school in a four-wheel drive requires different skills to driving a sedan or smaller car.<o:p></o:p> "You have to take into consideration that you are driving a vehicle that is two to three times the weight of a normal car - and higher - and will therefore handle differently."<o:p></o:p> The research team hopes the study will prompt increased driver education programs for four-wheel drive owners, who have higher rates of accidents than other vehicles.<o:p></o:p> Dr Rakotonirainy said his research team would use a $172,716 grant from the Australian Research Council to research the effectiveness of technology in driving awareness campaigns.<o:p></o:p> "If we can use the technology to record evidence of particular behaviours drivers are more likely to accept what they might be doing wrong," he said.<o:p></o:p> "It's more difficult for people to argue with hard data than with subjective observations."<o:p></o:p> "At the moment there aren't any programs that specifically teach people how to drive a four-wheel drive in suburbia - which is where most of them go," said Mr Rakotonirainy.<o:p></o:p> "But driving children to school in a four-wheel drive requires different skills to driving a sedan or smaller car.<o:p></o:p> "You have to take into consideration that you are driving a vehicle that is two to three times the weight of a normal car - and higher - and will therefore handle differently."<o:p></o:p> The research team hopes the study will prompt increased driver education programs for four-wheel drive owners, who have higher rates of accidents than other vehicles.<o:p></o:p> Dr Rakotonirainy said his research team would use a $172,716 grant from the Australian Research Council to research the effectiveness of technology in driving awareness campaigns.<o:p></o:p> "If we can use the technology to record evidence of particular behaviours drivers are more likely to accept what they might be doing wrong," he said.<o:p></o:p> "It's more difficult for people to argue with hard data than with subjective observations."<o:p></o:p>

"At the moment there aren't any programs that specifically teach people how to drive a four-wheel drive in suburbia - which is where most of them go," said Mr Rakotonirainy.

"But driving children to school in a four-wheel drive requires different skills to driving a sedan or smaller car.

"You have to take into consideration that you are driving a vehicle that is two to three times the weight of a normal car - and higher - and will therefore handle differently."

The research team hopes the study will prompt increased driver education programs for four-wheel drive owners, who have higher rates of accidents than other vehicles.

Dr Rakotonirainy said his research team would use a $172,716 grant from the Australian Research Council to research the effectiveness of technology in driving awareness campaigns.

"If we can use the technology to record evidence of particular behaviours drivers are more likely to accept what they might be doing wrong," he said.

"It's more difficult for people to argue with hard data than with subjective observations."