I went back and forth on the idea of sharing such a negative take here, but... here goes. > You'll need to find a truck that is at least 25 years old. In the US, cars more youthful than that must comply with FMVSS (safety standards). > No air bags, [...] power steering, or crumple zones. I feel like this sort of thing is a fantastic illustration of the irresponsible level which most drivers (in the US at least; can't…
How does this reconcile with motorcycles? Ok that is whataboutism I will admit! But this is going to be safer than a bike most likely.
Different US states' very unique interpretation of laws on certain things is something I have seen that needs explanation to foreign visitors and people who immigrate, from countries where there is one consistent legal code and regulation system of various products at the national level... Marijuana regulations and firearms (and limitations of different types of firearms) are two obvious examples. Other things like p…
> Different US states' very unique interpretation of laws on certain things is something I have seen that needs explanation to foreign visitors and people who immigrate, Your examples are actually different state laws, not different “unique” interpretations of laws, which is a pretty big mistake for someone who talks about needing to explain the situation to others.
I think it's clear that I meant different interpretations (politically) at a state level of what law should be written and implemented on certain things or activities.
If I found a middle eastern lamp and rubbed it and out popped a genie granting me three wishes, my first would be for there to be a modern electric Kei truck broadly available in North America. I am only slightly exaggerating.
I have good news for you (assuming they survive long enough to ship): https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/13/23757902/telo-truck-elect...
They can not replace new pickup truck. A bicycle doesn't replace a motorcycle just because it has two wheels and you can put groceries on it.
It can certainly replace _some_ pickup trucks in the same way that there is overlap between a motorcycle and bicycle for _some_ purposes. I would happily buy a kei truck, but something like an older Toyota Tacoma is my best bet right now.
The real equivalent of a kei truck in the US I think is a minivan. I see a lot of blue collar workers that use an old beater minivan as a work truck basically. Its an easy engine and platform to work on; something like a honda odyssey shares parts with a civic and most anything else they made in the same era. There is a ton of space when you take out the seats, that locks up unlike a truck bed. The floor is a lot lower than a truck bed which makes it easy to load stuff in and out. You get much better gas mileage than most commercial van platforms. They sell for a few thousand dollars in decent shape used and hold their value.
I think it might be a little more nuanced than that. I have a friend who's still alive today because he was driving a Lexus SUV when a Honda Accord blew through a red light and collided with him at speed. Should he downgrade his car so he's more vulnerable next time?
Why frame it as a downgrade? Bigger isn't necessarily better. Cars are a highly regulated product, with lots of testing that happens, and there are evolving standards. In a crash, I'd much rather be in a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu and not a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air, watch this video for why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB6oefRKWmY . Where the 2023 Honda Accord has a rating of "good"* from IIHS on the updated side impact…
Unfortunately weight _is_ generally a predictor of occupant safety.
IIHS says:
“Frontal crash test results can't be used to compare vehicle performance across weight classes.… Given equivalent frontal ratings, the heavier of two vehicles usually offers better protection in real-world crashes.”
You can make the exact same example, except someone without a driving license finds a car. I doubt you're opposed to mandating driver licenses, though.
You're not making the point you think you are. All a driver license proves is that you took a basic class as a teenager and have been paying the government a fee since then. You could get the same benefit just by adding the class to the high school curriculum.
> You could get the same benefit just by adding the class to the high school curriculum.
This doesn't contribute to the upkeep of roads in the same manner as a yearly tax on those that use them.
I went back and forth on the idea of sharing such a negative take here, but... here goes. > You'll need to find a truck that is at least 25 years old. In the US, cars more youthful than that must comply with FMVSS (safety standards). > No air bags, [...] power steering, or crumple zones. I feel like this sort of thing is a fantastic illustration of the irresponsible level which most drivers (in the US at least; can't…
The one thing that opened my eyes about this view of safety is living in a developing country. Riding a motorcycle without helmets, kids on their laps, cars without seatbelts, makeshift trucks with cargo randomly stacked and not strapped down. They are completely oblivious to the safety risks. But you know what? 99% of the time it doesn't matter. They live long and healthy lives. I get the sense the West has progress…
The ones that don't die or get permanently maimed in an accident live long and healthy lives, you mean. Which is still a very large majority, sure, but dying from a road accident is still a way more common way to die in those countries (7-15 times more likely than where I live), and it's a sudden death that can happen to anyone of any age. A kid needlessly dying because his parent irresponsibly carried her on their lap is such a waste of a life.
There's a small coastal town near San Francisco where a bunch of the farmers/ranchers/other locals imported a fleet of Suzuki Carry's, IIRC. I was chatting with one owner and they told me most haven't bothered registering them since they're basically only used on private properties or the very small, low traffic roads into and out of town.
You're not making the point you think you are. All a driver license proves is that you took a basic class as a teenager and have been paying the government a fee since then. You could get the same benefit just by adding the class to the high school curriculum.
> You could get the same benefit just by adding the class to the high school curriculum. This doesn't contribute to the upkeep of roads in the same manner as a yearly tax on those that use them. So no, not the same benefit at all.
You're thinking of car tax and fuel tax.
But also, the value of roads scales poorly with any of these things. The ability to have a package delivered to your front door is valuable regardless of whether or not you even have a car, and the value of it depends on what's in it rather than how much the truck cost. The most sensible way to fund any kind of basic infrastructure is from general revenues.
This is cool. However, for $1000 (including add-on jack and registration, no insurance required) I just bought a 5x8 trailer that can hold more weight. I tow it with my RAV4 Hybrid that gets ~40MPG.
Was gonna say, not in US but here local hardware stores let you rent these for $20/half day maybe. Or free for short periods. So if you need it once a month and nowhere to park it, this can be good!