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Move over, Ford and Chevy: Kei trucks are pulling up as customers opt for smaller, cheaper vehicles (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 5 months ago (4 children)

What is the too small for road safety thing? That's pure bullshit, right? Smart cars are legal, how can these not be?

Give us cheap EVs and small trucks god damnit!!!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

They don't pass US federal crash tests, probably because of the lack of crumple zone, so they can't be imported until they're 25 years old. Which doesn't make them any safer, but I guess rules are rules:

Because the trucks don’t meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, they’re legal to import only 25 years after having been manufactured. Then, it’s up to each state to decide whether to allow them on public roads.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

I have one. No crumple zone. No airbags. Slow acceleration. Can't reach highway speeds. No headrest.

But it's my favorite car ever. I just treat it like I'm riding a motorcycle. I'm dead in an accident, so I try to be hyper-aware.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

It might be more about what vehicles share the road. SUVs and pickups tend to cause the majority of fatalities in crashes because their bumper height basically being non compatible with cars and vans and their larger blindspots... That design might not play particularly well with the Keis in crash situations.

But that being said SUVs and raised pickups are menaces to road safety across the board and we should be looking at phasing them out.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I guess it's just the lack of any crumple zone, similar to the VW van your legs are essentially the crumple zone.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, I'd imagine it's fine down gridlocked Tokyo streets where you might be doing 20mph.

Probably not so good in a 70mph highway collision though.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

IIRC, these things exist to exploit a legal loophole around vehicle registration in Japan as well. Safety is not the highest concern lol

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

Sounds like some lack basic safety equipment like seat-belts.