Crackdown on beach 4WDs.

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Crackdown on beach 4WDs.

Postby Malakai » July 20th, 2009, 10:23 am

MORE than 30 four-wheel-drive vehicles have been ordered off the road after a massive crackdown on the hire industry that serves Fraser Island and Rainbow Beach.

More than half the vehicles failed roadworthy tests when inspectors made a series of surprise raids on hire outlets from the Sunshine Coast to Hervey Bay.

The crackdown came after a 4WD crash on Fraser Island in April in which two backpackers were killed and nine others injured.

Following the accident, The Sunday Mail called for a reduction of the speed limit on Fraser Island beaches and campaigned for improved safety and rule changes to the four-wheel-drive hire industry.

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the safety inspections were aimed at weeding out unsafe vehicles and increasing safety for tourists and the community.

"Queensland Transport inspectors inspected 33 hire vehicles for roadworthiness in one week of a June campaign," Ms Nolan said.

"Only 19 of the 33 vehicles passed the initial roadworthiness inspection, with 13 of these vehicles issued with major defect notices and one vehicle issued with a minor defect notice."

The defects included brake problems, faulty seatbelts and extensive rust.

"All 14 of these defective vehicles have been removed from the road until work is undertaken to make them roadworthy," Ms Nolan said.

The companies involved voluntarily cancelled the registration on a further 18 vehicles prior to an inspection taking place, bringing the number taken off the road to 32.

On top of this, Ms Nolan said there was also evidence that businesses had carried out major repairs on other vehicles in their fleet prior to the inspection.

Those repairs included installing new tyres, seatbelts, steering components and conducting complete brake overhauls.

"This is a great result from one week of the campaign and we don't intend to stop here," Ms Nolan said.

The minister would not name the businesses involved but said further inspections were under way.

New 80km/h speed limit signs have also been installed on beaches along Fraser Island.


URL: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25800100-3102,00.html
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Re: Crackdown on beach 4WDs.

Postby FairmontXR6 » August 2nd, 2009, 12:10 am

LOL, I take my 4x4 up the beach every year, it is always been 80km/hr on the main beach of Fraser.

The rest of it is just the media, I mean, people speed and die on the road and people speed and die on the beach, which is a gazetted road subject to all road rules!
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