Drivers in the region have welcomed a 2 year exemption on bulbar regulations, but still want the NSW government to show them the evidence the larger devices are dangerous. Following a statewide back-lash against a police crackdown on illegal bullbars in july, NSW Roads and Freight Minister Duncan Gay last week announced that bullbars on light vehicles (not more than 3.5 tonnes), within a reasonable tolerance of the requirements, would be given a 2 year exemption from vehicle registration regulations. The police blitz, which saw 38 drivers fined across the western region, focused on 5 post bullbars, which polive said posed risk to pedestrians in the event of an accident and exacted a toll of vehicles safety mechanisms. Drivers, However, argue theyre vital for providing protection from feral animals, particularly at night. One tamworth man, who did not wish to be named, does a lot of country miles in his 4x4 but said hed rethink doing late night and early morning journeys if he couldnt have a bulbar fitted. He said hi 5 post bulbar pictured was probably borderline legal, but the majority of these bullbars are in the bush, where the majority of people (pedestrians) are not. But the tamworth man said its not all about five post - its about whether it protrudes from the vehicle and whether it leans forward... if it leans forward and goes around (the car) theyve really picked on those guys. He asked the government to provide some evidence to support the crackdown. How many people have been injured by these bullbars ? Wheres the evidence?... Show us exactly what its doing. I dont know of any one who has been seriously hurt by a bulbar... and, if we do remove these bullbars, what will be the percentage of people who try to avoid the kangaroos and end up hurting themselves? He said recnt drought conditions has caused roos to flock to the side of the road for green pick on the bourke to Brewarrina road and dead roos were littered across the road mates of mine, if they dont have bullbars on, theyd have $20,000 worth of damage. I hit a deer the other day - now the deer in the Northern Tablelands are in plague proportions, he said. Scott Wilcox, of Hallsville, and his mates go to many B&S balls in their utes fitted with bullbars. Ive read up on a few laws... theres nothing in the RTA (sic) laws that states a 5 post bulbar is illegal, Mr Wilcox said. 90% of the big bars you see these days, they all comply. I reckon its all been blown way out of proportion... all these complaints about 5 post bullbars, its city people - its people who have never been out of the city limits. He said part of the law stated that the 3 main posts should not be higher than the bonnet where it meets the windscreen. A few years ago, he and a mate had a kangaroo go through their windscreen on a trip between Narromine and Dubbo on a car with no bullbar, it was a scary experience as the animal was kicking inside the car. In another roo incident, one of his mates had his non-bull bar-fitted car ripped to pieces - it took out his headlight bonnet and guard and split his bonnet in 4 different places. Mr Gay said the exemption would provide vehicle owners who had inadvertently fitted a non-compliant bullbar to their vehicle, or were unsure about their compliance, time to have it inspected by the RMS. However, bullbars that grossly exceed the current Australian Standards that are called up by NSW Regulations will not be exempt, Mr Gay said. Any owners who were unsure or who had already received a defect notice for a bullbar they have believed should have been exempt, should then have the vehicle inspected at an RMS authorised vehicle inspection station, he said Sounds very one sided ?
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:19:35 +0000