A Sydney family whose weekend 4WD trip was a near tragedy, has praised their vehicle's simple and effective safety barrier for saving them from injury.

David and Rosalind Lowe and their sons, James and John, were on an organised 4WD club outing when their Toyota Prado punctured a tyre, left the gravel road at about 60 kmh and rolled down an embankment into a paddock near Gloucester, NSW. The Prado rolled twice before coming to rest on its side.

David had fitted a Milford cargo barrier to the vehicle and it protected the family from the fridge, camping gear, chainsaw and recovery equipment stored in the cargo area of the wagon.

"Without the Milford barrier we would have been injured by the unrestrained cargo," said David. "But the greatest benefit turned out to be the way the vertical barrier stopped the roof from crushing us in the cabin section."

A regular four wheel driver, David wrote to the barrier manufacturers, Milford Industries, to congratulate the company on its product's effectiveness in a real life test. He has recently purchased a new Nissan Patrol and installed another barrier as a priority.

"My family's safety is number one and, having witnessed a Milford barrier in an accident, I'd recommend every parent install one for their family's sake", he said.

The range of Milford cargo barriers, manufactured to the latest approved standards, is available for all the popular 4WDs, station wagons and vans in Australia. More information can be obtained by calling toll free 1800 683 577 or on the internet at www.cargobarrier.com