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Instead of minicars or scooters, the absolutely safest option would be to use regular small cars that are re-registered with a speed limiter. Used small cars a
by yason 6y ago
Instead of minicars or scooters, the absolutely safest option would be to use regular small cars that are re-registered with a speed limiter.
Used small cars are cheap and they come with all the safety features that have been around and mandated for decades. They are infinitely more safe than these plastic boxes. Just tack a safety triangle in the back of the car to warn others of the slow speed. When the young person turns 18 they could just have the speed limiter removed and continue driving the same car.
Sweden has a local exception that allows turning old cars into tractors that 16-year-olds can drive. There are other limitations and those are really slow, and building tractors out of old Volvos doesn't sound too unsafe.
- tom_mellior 6y agoAs your parent pointed out, many places have a deeply entrenched culture of owners and mechanics illegally tuning vehicles. A speed limiter would not last long.
- JoeAltmaier 6y agoThen add a monitor? Inspect them (deliver them to registry office regularly) to see that they've been running at safe speeds only.
- tom_mellior 6y agoIn my country at least, the regular vehicle inspections mandated by law are not performed by some theoretical incorruptible government office, but rather by the same mechanics who are willing to perform the illegal modifications. You can imagine how well that works in practice. (Which is not to say that I don't agree with you in theory, but people don't work that way.)
- JoeAltmaier 6y agoMake it digital then. Upload the device to a website using your cell phone. Nobody between you and the verification that way. And if you don't upload, the car won't start and you get a call from a friendly community officer to find out what went wrong.
- tom_mellior 6y agoAgreed. In addition to making the world worse by having more cars on the road, we can also make it even worse by establishing a dystopian surveillance scheme.
- JoeAltmaier 6y ago...for 14yo drivers...
- yason 6y agoThat's a problem for law enforcement and MOT inspections. Young people notoriously tune scooters and minicars already, there's absolutely no news there. Penalties will take care of most of the tuners. For exampple, if you get caught with a disabled speed limiter you will have your license suspended for two years and your real full-power driver's license postponed by two years. Also insurance companies will impose hefty penalties if you're driving something else (more powerful) than what you've insured. If you crash, the insurance company will be charging you for the damages. Here's a light-weight minicar after collision: https://is.mediadelivery.fi/img/1920/2965ca321c7a47758ca5a81ff8406b1c.jpg https://is.mediadelivery.fi/img/1920/2965ca321c7a47758ca5a81... -- I'd rather have my kids take that hit in a passenger car, even a small one.