I'm sure in your case you're right Richard, but not everyone is as careful as you and I've nearly been run over by 4x4ers on an old lane and had to rush to call my dog back when they would come down the old metalled road where we used to walk. They'd come belting out of nowhere and as the track was only just wide enough to accommodate a Range Rover or whatever the dog and I had to scramble up the steep banks at the side. Having seen the damage done on that lane, 4x4s were definitely worse than horses which have been walking along it for over a 1000+ years. Really, recreational vehicles should not be allowed on green lanes (including those nutters on off-road motorbikes).

Anyway, after travelling in 4x4's across the badlands of Montana and North Dakota to dinosaur quarries (carrying all sorts of heavy equipment) this summer I tend to view 4x4's here in the UK for what they are: toys for the boys and a waste of time in a really tough environment.