Sunday 4 September 2022 11:46 PM Calls for Australia to introduce a new licence for 4WD vehicles trends now
A ute has been found bogged in water at a popular Gold Coast beach, amid calls for Australia to introduce a 4WD licence.
Pictures shared on social media over the weekend show a packed tradies ute in the shallow water near the Miami headland early Sunday morning.
The car was still filled with tools and even had ladders secured to the top, and it is not yet known how the ute ended up in the surf.
Locals shared their views on the peculiar discovery on social media.
A ute was washed up at Miami on Sunday. Picture: Facebook
'You can´t park there, very shellfish,' Nathan Barber wrote.
Another local resident asked if there was anyone 'camping out' inside, but was reassured the car was indeed empty.
Meanwhile, others suggested the ute may have been stolen and dumped.
'Anybody know what street it was stolen from? Some poor person`s work truck," Ben Doyle Real Estate wrote.
Locals have been left confused by the discovery. Picture: Mark Wilson.
'Can their tools be recovered from them before they´re completely destroyed?' Steve Costanzo wrote.
A spokesman for Queensland Police said they were aware of the incident.
'Police were made aware of a car in water off the beach at Miami, Gold Coast around 4.20am on Sunday September 4,' they told NewsWire.
'Upon arrival, officers found the vehicle had been abandoned.'
The discovery comes as off-road enthusiasts are calling for Australia to introduce a new licence for 4WD drivers amid a rise in blokes with kitted up vehicles getting bogged on outdoor adventures.
Tow truck drivers have been making a fortune rescuing Aussies 'with all the gear and no idea' as drivers with 'no skill level' get stuck on beaches, grasslands and muddy bushland surfaces.
Many are unaware of how to safely operate these vehicles on surfaces other than tarmac, before they get stuck or break down hundreds of kilometres from help.
Pat Callinan says licences should be introduced to ensure that drivers have safety based education before they hit off-beaten tracks.
He says motorcycles and heavy vehicles have specialised licences, and calls for one applying to 4WD because off-road terrains have different dynamics than on-road environments.
A number of inexperienced drivers who are buying kitted out 4WD's and other expensive vehicles are getting bogged on beaches and other surfaces
4WD enthusiasts are calling for the recreational activity to require a licence to increase safety and regulation
'For the technical aspects, training and education is key,' he writes on his blog, Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures.
'Presently one licence category covers everything from a Kia Piccanto to a 79 Series LandCruiser, to a Porsche 911. They're pretty broad strokes of the brush.
He recommends that Australia introduces an off-road 4WD licence to ensure drivers can safely handle all environments.
'This can satisfactorily ensure that any would-be off-road driver has basic knowledge of vehicle dynamics off road, and hopefully a healthy respect for the environment they are driving in.'
Mr Callinan said permits would also help give 4WD owners a voice because the government would be aware of how many people partake in off-road driving.
Tow truck drivers have been making a fortune rescuing Aussie blokes 'with all the gear and no idea'
Many who have opted to spend their weekends taking their new 4WD's out onto to the beach, desert or grasslands are usually unaware on how to safely operate these vehicles on these surfaces before they get stuck or break down
'Laws are changed to suit motorcyclists, because their numbers are known and accountable and that means political persuasion. Gun owners have a voice, because strict licensing,' he said.
'Amateur fishers get infrastructure built and non-commercial fishing supported, in NSW at least. Why? Licences. Numbers. Accountability.
'A licence might just be the ticket 4X4 owners and off-road enthusiasts need to be able to stand up and be counted.
He said there could be up to 2 million 4WD fanatics who are missing out on policy changes because the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not distinguish between privately owned, road-oriented, and off-road cars.
A group of travellers have been slammed for driving their Maseratis worth upwards of $150,000 onto a popular beach - only for the luxury cars to get bogged in the sand dunes
David Wilson from Adventure 4WD explained that crashing down or getting bogged while driving on new terrain can be
