Small City Cars: The Tiny Timebombs on Wheels?
- written by Johnny 'Wheels' Johnson
- ⏱️ - 2 Min Read
Deadly Warnings Issued on Scooter Vehicles by Professionals - "Conniving Perils": Authorities Caution on the Use of Mopeds Due to Tragic Risks
Ever dreamt of owning your own car for under 100 euros, or even less than 10,000 euros? Sounds like a dream come true, especially for teenagers who can drive one with a basic driver's license at the age of 15. Moped-like vehicles such as the Opel Rocks-e, the similarly built Citroën Ami, or the Aixam Access have got your back. Adding to their appeal, these pocket-friendly micro-cars require a moped license plate and are free from car taxes.
Sure, these mobility solutions come with limitations: they're limited to a top speed of 45 km/h, and their limited electric range makes them unsuitable for long trips. However, as a city runabout, you could find these vehicles quite intriguing.
Crash and Burn: The Dangerous Side of Micro-Cars
Alas, these little wonders hide a dark reality, as reported by the respected automotive magazine, "GearHead". In a series of crash tests commissioned by the TV show "RoadShow", the magazine found that these micro-cars can be downright lethal.
To simulate a city accident, two vehicles were rammed into a deformable offset barrier at full speed, equivalent to hitting an oncoming car.
Here's what the tests revealed: "The testers measured loads on the dummies that would likely have resulted in death for human passengers."
Driving with Death on Your Steering Wheel
Let's take a closer look at the Aixam Access, the most commonly sold micro-car in its class. Despite its small size and lightweight structure, this three-meter-long, 425-kilogram beast isn't your typical safety specialist. In a crash, the steering wheel, absent of airbags, would hit the driver with a brutal force of 720 kilograms. To put it into perspective, legal limits for acceptable force are 80 grams!
The compact Citroën Ami fares no better. Although the car's rigid frame may not show signs of compromise, it can't absorb any kinetic energy like a conventional car's crumple zone. The result? A significant hit for the driver and passenger, potentially fatal in collisions.
manufacturers Brush Off the Scary Facts
The problem, according to the report, lies in the lenient safety regulations for light motor vehicles, a category that includes micro-cars like the Ami and Access. These vehicles meet the same safety requirements as two-wheelers like scooters and mopeds, which are very few and far between.
When presented with the test results, the manufacturers remained dismissive, with Stellantis, the parent company of Opel, Citroën, and Fiat, focusing on the advantages of these vehicles over their counterparts in the class. Aixam, however, acknowledged the limitations of their L6e-type micro-cars due to their design, stating that modern safety technologies like ABS, airbags, or crash sensors are "technically not feasible."
reference(source=Automobile): [1] Hensen, C. (2023). Mobility “Lethal”: Experts Warn of Micro-Cars. Tech News Daily. [2] Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). (2016). Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: A Status Report on the Art of the Possible. SAE International. [3] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). (2021). Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards: New Car Assessment Program. NHTSA.gov
- Given the dangerous findings from tests conducted by "GearHead", it is concerning that the community policy might not adequately address the safety concerns associated with micro-cars, such as the Aixam Access and Citroën Ami, which were found to present life-threatening risks during accidents.
- As these vehicles are promoted for health-and-wellness purposes, through their fitness-and-exercise benefits that come from the ease of driving and parking, it is essential that science and technology be employed to improve their safety standards, aligning them with conventional vehicles, to ensure the wellbeing of their users.
