RI DMV Trying to ban Kei Trucks, again?

[Rmay635703]

The issue is that sometimes you do......some have the rational or IQ of a cucumber.

My college was pushing hard to ban bicycles from the actual “campus” areas because they were dangerous.

I asked how many people were hurt by bicycles and it was none.

I agree in a speed limit, speed limiters or federal freeway bans but some people will receive their Darwin Award regardless, it’s a case of adults should be allowed to make decisions and suffer dumb ones.

 

[wings&wheels]

My college was pushing hard to ban bicycles from the actual “campus” areas because they were dangerous.

I asked how many people were hurt by bicycles and it was none.

I agree in a speed limit, speed limiters or federal freeway bans but some people will receive their Darwin Award regardless, it’s a case of adults should be allowed to make decisions and suffer dumb ones.

I used to joke that attempts at making society idiot proof will only drive the evolution of a better idiot....not as funny as it used to be

 

[Kurtatron]

Ridiculous. You can ride a motorcycle, 14x higher death rate than a car, but not a kei truck due to safety? Ludicrous.

 

[supton]

Ridiculous. You can ride a motorcycle, 14x higher death rate than a car, but not a kei truck due to safety? Ludicrous.

I want to say, those Kei trucks often have low top speeds? Probably a bit sketchy at their top end?

A lot of roads are not slow.

To go at this problem from another direction: how many here would like to ban bicycles from roadways? I realize that is largely due to cyclists being inattentive, hard to predict and largely ignoring laws, but Kei trucks are (likely) slow accelerating, could make sudden turns (because they are going slow), and that much harder to safely pass (being wider than a bicycle). They are also largely RHD, and while that shouldn't matter, it probably doesn't help. I know the one time I drove RHD I had issues staying in lane, as I kept drifting, as my frame of reference was messed up.

 

[CKN]

I want to say, those Kei trucks often have low top speeds? Probably a bit sketchy at their top end?

A lot of roads are not slow.

To go at this problem from another direction: how many here would like to ban bicycles from roadways? I realize that is largely due to cyclists being inattentive, hard to predict and largely ignoring laws, but Kei trucks are (likely) slow accelerating, could make sudden turns (because they are going slow), and that much harder to safely pass (being wider than a bicycle). They are also largely RHD, and while that shouldn't matter, it probably doesn't help. I know the one time I drove RHD I had issues staying in lane, as I kept drifting, as my frame of reference was messed up.

There are places here you can use "side by sides" or what ever they are called as long as they have the lights, etc. But they regulate them to streets than are under a certain speed. It would seem this would be a viable compromise.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Did the VW Type 181 meet FMVSS?

 

[supton]

There are places here you can use "side by sides" or what ever they are called as long as they have the lights, etc. But they regulate them to streets than are under a certain speed. It would seem this would be a viable compromise.

It's not a bad one. I know when I go to the transfer station, sometimes there's a guy buzzing up and down the road in a Gator. Not sure the fuzz cares... wrong side of the lake to matter, neighbors don't care on this side. I certainly don't care.

 

[Rmay635703]

I want to say, those Kei trucks often have low top speeds? Probably a bit sketchy at their top end?

A lot of roads are not slow.

To go at this problem from another direction: how many here would like to ban bicycles from roadways? I realize that is largely due to cyclists being inattentive, hard to predict and largely ignoring laws, but Kei trucks are (likely) slow accelerating, could make sudden turns (because they are going slow), and that much harder to safely pass (being wider than a bicycle). They are also largely RHD, and while that shouldn't matter, it probably doesn't help. I know the one time I drove RHD I had issues staying in lane, as I kept drifting, as my frame of reference was messed up.

My 1970 Subaru 360 hits high 60’s

A modern kei truck will go 70-75 but they are banned from federal highways and thus shouldn’t see much over 55

Did the VW Type 181 meet FMVSS?

Honestly FMVSS meant just more than absolutely nothing until about 1983, might need a specific bumper and lights.

Ronald Reagan brought us the nonsense we see.

 

[Rmay635703]

Delete

 

[Opelman]

Truthfully my biggest concern is the powers that be are proposing taking away use of someone's property without compensation.

 

[eljefino]

We got into this pickle in the 1980s when Mercedes Benz (USA) created, observed, or cashed in on brand equity that meant a US Mercedes was worth thousands more than a European one just because it was fashionable. Americans were parallel importing (grey market) Mercedes without paying MBUSA their ransom. So MBUSA lobbied the government to be way stricter on imports in the name of safety, emissions, and of course profits. That's how we got the current 25 year old exemption to the rule.

Do those Kei trucks meet US safety and emissions standards? Well, they were never officially tested, so, no. Do they appear on fueleconomy.gov? No, so they don't exist in the minds of the feds.

Should a state be allowed to register uncertified vehicles for their roads? Well, there's the states' rights argument. The feds probably have something in place to dissuade this-- maybe they can withhold highway funding.

The problem is drawing the line where "you shouldn't have done that." Catch them being imported, and the guy will say they're for off road use only. Catch them at DMV registration renewal and someone will say "well I already have plates."

 

[4WD]

It's always for your safety or your own good. We need to be protected from ourselves obviously.

Yeah - auto insurance covers more than metal and paint - wondering what kind of bodily harm gets covered in some of these contraptions

 

[andrew_j]

I drive 50 plus year old Opel daily when the roads here aren't salted. When I lived in Southern CA, it was year round, traffic or not. Are you suggesting that I shouldn't be allowed to drive it because it doesn't meet current standards? Same with my even older pickup. I could happily daily drive as early as the late 1920s. Maybe not a T for highway use but any of the larger cars, no problem. I am looking forward to putting our 1927 Willys- Knight on the road. Unrestored but mechanically sound.

It met standard for time of safety. Kei trucks never met safety standards for their year of manufacture is what they are saying.

 

[ripcord]

I think I saw some place that a lot of those got imported with governors to prevent them from going over 25 mph? Probably most of them have that removed pretty quickly.

 

[Rmay635703]

Truthfully my biggest concern is the powers that be are proposing taking away use of someone's property without compensation.

My father and myself both own vehicles that were forced off the road because of mandatory insurance.

The one car had the insurance removed the day the law went into effect got told they no longer insured that class of vehicles, Hagerty and other specialty companies wasn’t interested because it wasn’t garaged and was just used as a car, dozens of other companies said they didn’t recognize the VIN and wouldn’t insure despite the car being made in the USA, having a vin, title and FMVSS label.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Revising this thread. WSJ had a nice article about them and their popularity is sure to grow.

"In 2020, over 1,000 shipping containers containing kei trucks were sent to the U.S. from Japan, according Import Genius trade data. By 2023, the number of containers jumped to more than 4,000. This year’s figure looks to surpass that mark."

Here's a dealer in Texas: https://www.tripletpowersports.com/--inventory?category=mini truck&pg=1

Another: https://www.jpnautoimport.com/learn-more-about--mini-truck

BITOG'ers may like something such as this.

 

[supton]

Love the concept but still not the right vehicle for me. Might be fun for a run about, but I probably wouldn't want to drive far out of town.

 

[72westy]

Because I can drive an ATV / Sidebyside on 50% of roads (northern communities 100%) and a motorcycle on 100% of roads.

Also several Kei vehicles have been sold in the US as road legal, The belief that Japan, a NIMBY first world country makes vehicles that are inherently unsafe and polluting is a myth people like to believe from authorities. Heck any vehicle made before 2010 is supposedly a gross safety risk according to .gov.

If the only thing we value in a vehicle is safety everyone needs one of these, no safety equipment but safe in all collisions, even a head on with a semi or a train is very survivable, IEDs are also usually very survivable .

View attachment 220422

Safety standards which are pretty much written with full lobbying buy in from auto makers only exist for market isolation, that’s why Europe won’t allow a reciprocation agreement as our us standard vehicles keep failing in base form over there, AKA vehicles built to us standards are considered wildly unsafe to pedestrian traffic and we never pass their enhanced requirements.

Why authorities are concerned about something 0.01% of people own brought in legally under the 25 year rule is beyond me.

Is it really a concern that 100% of cars sold will be 25 year old kei vans?

Not aware of any kei vehicles from Japan haven been marketed in the USA. A Kei has very strict engine size requirement of being under a give cc. I believe 660cc is the max.

 

[Pterostylis]

As an Australian it’s kind of weird to hear that some of your states are trying to ban kei vehicles.
Down here we don’t hear that many complaints about kei vehicles but various NGOs and politicians want to ban inconvenience people with taxes and want to introduce a special class of licence for F150s and Ram sized vehicles because they’re “too big”.

 

[ripcord]

As an Australian it’s kind of weird to hear that some of your states are trying to ban kei vehicles.
Down here we don’t hear that many complaints about kei vehicles but various NGOs and politicians want to ban inconvenience people with taxes and want to introduce a special class of licence for F150s and Ram sized vehicles because they’re “too big”.

We used to call folks like that "busy bodies" around here. Lots of other less polite terms, too.