BMJ  2006;333:206 (22 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7560.206

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Four wheel drive vehicles, class war, and the BMJ

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

To many people, the gas guzzling, road hogging, bullbar-brandishing four wheel drive or sports utility vehicle has long seemed fair game. What are they doing, clogging up the streets of our inner cities? Have their drivers somehow missed the turning to rural Ambridge?

In the United Kingdom, the Independent newspaper has called them "Enemy of the people." Andrew Simms, policy director of UK think tank the New Economics Foundation, has dubbed them "Satan's little run-around." Less derogatory nicknames include include "Chelsea tractors" and—in Newcastle upon Tyne—"Jesmond tractors," because of their popularity in chic, urban areas—particularly, as the stereotypers would have it, among the so called yummy mummies or young stylish mothers. London mayor Ken Livingstone has called those who take their children to school in four wheel drive vehicles "complete idiots" and last week proposed increasing the London congestion charge to £25 for "environmentally damaging" vehicles, which would include the . . . [Full text of this article]

BMJ tjackson@bmj.com

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