More than 77 per cent of four-wheel-drive vehicle owners in NSW believe there is a backlash against them, a survey has found, and almost 20 per cent say other drivers have become more negative towards them since they bought their big cars. "Without doubt, four-wheel-drive owners have an image problem, whether they deserve it or not," said Selina O'Connor, the corporate affairs manager at the insurance company AAMI, which conducted the survey. The research, based on interviews with 2400 NSW motorists, found 68 per cent of respondents believed that four-wheel-drive vehicles might be safer for their occupants but were a greater threat to other road users. Almost half of those surveyed were more concerned about having a crash with a four-wheel-drive vehicle than with a sedan or small car. "Four-wheel-drive owners seem to feel safer; only one in five … four-wheel-drivers were concerned about having an accident with a vehicle of their size," Ms O'Connor said. Advertisement Advertisement Driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle in a city was also frowned upon, with more than 60 per cent of the survey's respondents saying people living in cities should drive small cars. More than half of those interviewed said they had seen owners of four-wheel-drive vehicles struggling to manoeuvre them in busy urban areas.
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