• Dempf@lemmy.zip
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      26 days ago

      The things is they aren’t even that small. I visited my friend in Japan on a ski trip and he owns one of these trucks. It fit the two of us in the front seats extremely comfortably, and we put my ski bag and all my gear in the bed with tons of room to spare. It was way more comfortable than traveling with the same gear in a sedan would have been. It feels like we only have a problem with it in America because our roads and our vehicles are so goddamn gigantic.

      • Twinklebreeze @lemmy.world
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        26 days ago

        I think the real issue is the lack of safety features our vehicles are required to have. I want a kei truck so damn bad.

        • David_Eight@lemmy.world
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          26 days ago

          That can be said about almost all classic cars. Like the article pointed out, you can still register and drive a Ford Model T in the state.

          • RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world
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            24 days ago

            That is because those classic models are grandfathered in. Cars without safety features already were registered and existed when the laws were created, and it was easier for the DOT to just allow all vehicles manufactured prior to the law requiring safety equipment to remain the way they were and be allowed on the street.

    • Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com
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      26 days ago

      The DMV had a problem because owners were exploiting a loophole to get these on the road even when they don’t meet safety standards.

      • David_Eight@lemmy.world
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        26 days ago

        Are they banning imported cars in general or just k cars? People have been importing Nissan GTRs and other type of cars for years using that same loophole.

        • Anarchistcowboy@lemmy.world
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          24 days ago

          Exactly or I don’t know maybe they’d just try to ban all the 30+ year old cars and trucks that didn’t have modern safety features I can’t see how a 35 year old samba is more dangerous than a 35 year old s10.

          • sparky1337@ttrpg.network
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            24 days ago

            Yea their whole argument is baseless. They’re essentially saying that they have pedestrian safety figured out and not the countries that have the most walkable cities? Wild.

        • Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com
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          26 days ago

          That is a woefully incorrect correlation.

          For example, not that it was mentioned in the article, but lots of research and regulation go into hood design to minimize pedestrian injury in an unfortunate collision or reduce additional risks such as being pulled under the hood or exposed sharp point. Except the sharp edges, neither apply for motorcycles, but which have their own, unique safety requirements. And there could be hundreds of other examples I’m unaware of. That’s sort of why we have a government organization such as a DMV.

          • sparky1337@ttrpg.network
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            26 days ago

            The DMV has zero bearing on vehicle safety. They’re only denying and trying to revoke legally issued registrations. So your makeshift argument is moot. You’re trying to say the registrable F150 is more pedestrian safe than a Daihatsu Hi-Jet………which is definitely not the case. It’s quite the opposite.

            Not to mention they’re making golf carts road legal which don’t even have seat belts or any other crash verified safety equipment.

            These reports have been around for years.

            • Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com
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              26 days ago

              I’m not saying a F150 is more or less safe than a Hi-Jet at all.

              I’m thinking like a bureaucrat and saying: if it complies with regulations, it can be registered.

              Results: ✅ F150 ❌ Kei truck

              • sparky1337@ttrpg.network
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                24 days ago

                This isn’t really up for debate. It’s legal to import anything 25 years or older under Federal law. They don’t have to comply with regulations outside of maybe smog. And even then if you import anything 1974 and older you don’t even have to smog that in California.

                I could maybe see an argument where they shouldn’t be allowed on roads above 70mph since most kei cars aren’t capable of that, and those that are run such high rpm’s it’s just not practical.

          • David_Eight@lemmy.world
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            26 days ago

            As far as I’m aware the US doesn’t have any(or at least not many) pedestrian safety standards. That’s actually the reason the Cybertruck isn’t sold in Europe, it didn’t meet Euro pedestrian standards. I mean just look at the fucking thing, it’s all sharp edges and corners lol