New Fraser Island safety rules

[xjrob]

I read it to mean no roof top luggage only on vehicles with 7 seat capacity, i think they are aiming at the vehicles that are so full of people everything is on the roof.

If they ban roof top luggage that will mean almost all who don't tow a trailer, if you are going for several days camping most need some roof top luggage.

I think rather than ban specific vehicles because they can carry 7, 9 or 11 people as a troopy can.

Have a rule that any vehicle with more than 5 on board will be finned/jailed.

with 11 people in a troopy with no roof top luggage if anything happens someone will get hurt because of those silly sideways mounted seats, so they think restricting it to 7 will save them.

Most rental operators also don't give any driver training first, so these backpackers who have never driven on the beach, have been told to lower pressures to avoid getting bogged (and they still do), then they still drive like on bitumen with fully inflated tyres, swerve in and out of waves because it is fun, or turn tightly in softer sand and can't understand why the skinny 7.5 16 tyres on split rims part with the rim dig in and roll them over.

It is not there fault, they have never driven in these conditions and are on holiday, surely it is up to the idiots who are making the money from them renting the vehicles to make sure they understand the conditions. But then why would they, they have a large security deposit to cover the insurance and they keep getting new vehicles for old, maybe i would not tell them either and hope they write the car off so i get a new one courtesy of the insurance company.

[carvesdodo]

Good comments from all those that understand that its NOT the vehicles fault - or whether it has a roofrack or more than 4 passengers ........ that accidents occur on Fraser ....

Its the idiotic behaviour of the humans in the vehicle.

Originally Posted by Simsy85

People want more than 7 people in a 4WD???

Thats insane! I try to keep mine to two people max when i'm on the beach!

sorry Carves, I think your way off on this one

Its OK Simsy ... you're too young to know life before the wholesale implementation of pathetic nanny rules introduced over the last 30yrs.

7x4 Trailer, 3m x1.5m roofrack and 12 people in the old troopy .... and I never had an accident on Fraser - or any other place.

Maybe the old troopys were better than the new ones ????

[Simsy85]

Personally I think its foolish to have more than 4 people in a rig when your off roading. As I said before, my preference is to keep it to two.

[carvesdodo]

Originally Posted by Simsy85

Personally I think its foolish to have more than 4 people in a rig when your off roading. As I said before, my preference is to keep it to two.

I agree with your two people preference Simsy ..... especially as you own a shorty JK .......... I had the same attitude whilst owning 2 seater swb vehicles with a weekends worth of gear in the back.

At any other time of course .... There is the option of considering the wellbeing of your passengers ... no matter how many ... and driving accordingly ....

[Simsy85]

I'm glad we agree..??

My head hurts

[BrisNut]

Originally Posted by Simsy85

Personally I think its foolish to have more than 4 people in a rig when your off roading. As I said before, my preference is to keep it to two.

Sure when you're offroading in terrain you wouldn't take a camper trailer, but driving the inland tracks down the beach to your campsite or fishing spot hardly rates as dangerous offroading for any driver with common sense. Might as well ban more than 4 passengers on all dirt tracks too.
8 people unseatbelted in the back of a 68 Landrover with a responsible driver chugging down the beach wasn't dangerous 10 years ago. It was common practice to leave friends cars at Rainbow Beach then pile into a 4x4 and a blind eye was turned. Of course it only takes 1 or 2 idiots to mess this up for a lot of others.
But I agree they did need to doo something about the troopies full of backpackers killing themselves and endagering others. But penalising Troopy drivers is overkill.
I would think there would be a rule requiring a minibus licence to take more than 7 passengers on normal roads anyway, I can't think of too many vehicles set up to seat more than 7. That would solve the problem pretty quickly.
As far as the roof racks go I think they are worried the backpackers will just swap from Troopy's to 7 seater Landcruisers and Patrols, if they are still rolling them then you got to look at the driver, roofrack or not. Reducing the roof load and number of passengers in a Troopy won't stop idiots from rolling them.

[Simsy85]

Originally Posted by BrisNut

8 people unseatbelted in the back of a 68 Landrover with a responsible driver chugging down the beach wasn't dangerous 10 years ago.

Well pat, I think your full of it there, as long as we've lived in Queensland (last 20 years), I can remember the news stories on roll overs on fraser island..

The fact is, it happens. I don't give two hoots if a vehicle is designed to take 7 or 8 people, the fact is your offroad, you should be 10 times more careful.

I would rather part with the extra $$ getting another 4WD and taking two vehicles, rather than risk the lives of my family and friends.

When willl people realise with 4WD's it should ALWAYS, ALWAYS be saftey first!