Oh gosh, this article again. Why does the date say 2025? This was discussed ad nauseam last year.
Cliffsnotes: Why was it blocked? The foreign car built to tight regulations in one market doesn’t meet safety standards in another country. This happens all over the world and is nothing new. Yes, people are exploiting a loophole to import them. The DMV got wise.
Safety.
See that minivan, where the driver is over the front wheels? That means the crumple zone is you. The US stopped making that design in the early 70’s because of the lack of crumple zones.
So thank all the people who complain when the smallest injury happens in an accident, and blame the vehicle. This makes safety requirements stronger (which has largely been a good thing), but makes Kei trucks unsellable in the US.
What if I zip tie a large Styrofoam block to the front?
I mean, it’s right there a few paragraphs in:
“Kei trucks do not meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, or FMVSS — the highly specific rules cars US-market new cars must meet.”
They skirt this by not being new cars, you import 25 year old cars instead, but that doesn’t change the fact that they don’t meet standards.
Does any 25 year old car meet today’s safety standards?
I’d argue the imported ones do meet all applicable standards, since they’re exempt.
I’d argue the imported ones do meet all applicable standards, since they’re exempt.
Well, yeah. That is the loophole being used.
As for 25 year old vehicle, my daily driver is 21, has satellite navigation, California LEV (low emissions vehicle), 5-star safety rating.
There hasn’t really been some revolutionary advancement in safety in the past 25 years other than slapping some more computers, cameras and design tweaks. Actually, the beeping sensors in the bumpers are pretty nice. I like those.
We had good tech back then that stands up well to modern-day cars. It may not have the nagging of modern safety systems, but I don’t get false warnings either.
Lol those nagging systems are now required safety features as of 2023, so any vehicle without them doesn’t meet today’s standards.
The US government considers a 500hp V8 4-ton lifted RAM capable of cruising at 90mph with a iPad permantly embedded in the dash safer than a little 40mpg truck with a usable bed.
but muh safety
We have license classes and riding restrictions for a reason, numbnuts. This is 100% just protections BS. Otherwise, explain motorcycles or tractors being allowed on the road.
Kei trucks, and, hell, any good cars, are only dangerous to one thing: American profits.
