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EU cave in on vehicle trade rules will cost European lives
- jmclnx 1y ago>rapid rise in monster US pick-up trucks on Europe’s roads is set to accelerate after the EU-US trade pact I hope the EU resists this, as a bicycle commuter those monster trucks causes mayhem here in the US. Maybe the EU or Countries can levy a special tax on them when registered. Something like 1000 USD per year. The good thing is gas is very expensive there compared to here, so maybe their sales will be very low. But how would the fit on the roads I have seen there ? Will they be banned from driving on those roads ?
- FirmwareBurner 1y ago[flagged]
- jmclnx 1y ago>How much of that is because illegals driving 18-wheelers Where I live in the US, those things cannot get down the roads in our big cities. These large pickup trucks cause most of the damage on the roads.
- saubeidl 1y agoPlease do not spread right-wing conspiracy theories. ("WEF plant", "illegals" killing people etc)
- FirmwareBurner 1y ago[flagged]
- saubeidl 1y agoThe conspiracy theory is trying to create a pattern from a single accident and trying to use it to frame humans as "illegal" and killers.
- FirmwareBurner 1y agoWould you be OK if it was your family who got killed in that "single accident" by an illegal driver which would have been preventable if he'd not be allowed in? In any civilized society, the crimes of illegal immigrants should be zero, because they shouldn't be here in the first place driving 18-wheelers professionally without proper visa and vetting that they're skilled for the job. But this is what you get when there's no direct liability and accountability from employers and governments on who they let on public roads when they crash and kill someone.
- saubeidl 1y agoNo, the same way I wouldn't be okay if my family got killed in any other type of accident. But I wouldn't bring a xenophobic angle into it. The problem is motorized transport, not humans from other places.
- FirmwareBurner 1y agoPointing out verifiable facts and drawing logical conclusions is xenophobic?
- saubeidl 1y agoTrying to create a connection between a person's ethnicity and their driving skills and then using that to try and argue for xenophobic policy is.
- FirmwareBurner 1y ago[flagged]
- greybox 1y ago[flagged]
- greybox 1y ago[flagged]
- FirmwareBurner 1y ago[flagged]
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- msgodel 1y agoCrushing people with over regulation costs lives too. It's just much quieter and harder to measure.
- tonoto 1y agoThe cars sell because that's what the customer wants (as opposite of what EU wants customers to buy/rent/share). There's not a single ordinary brand new car sold in EU that I'm interested to buy if I could afford. Cars used to be fun until 2010-2015 something (when instruments were still tactile and less "automatical" features were obligatory) - I do not want to pay for e-call, automatic lane assistant and so on. Might pay for rear camera and parking sensors though.
- grimblee 1y agoThe car sells becuse of advertising, also called engineered need. None need huge pick-up truck, but US soft power and lobbying creates the need.
- tonoto 1y agoThere's lots of things that are not needed, but that are desired. I do not need a huge pick-up truck, but wouldn't mind a car with a great ground clearance and wheel base. I do know lots of folks that need big pick-up trucks that wouldn't agree on "engineered need". Perhaps you live in a big city?
- rich_sasha 1y agoI wonder if they will even sell. You may change the regulation but surely the economics of fuel consumption and insurance will be awful. Not to mention, good luck parking it at any old European town, or even a modern shopping centre.
- tg180 1y agoThis! They won't sell in big numbers. Parking these huge vehicles in Europe will be nearly impossible. Americans would need to send over engineers, architects, and builders who follow the "bigger is better" philosophy. I'm waiting for the moment when we'll tease someone who can't manoeuvre their truck when it simply doesn't fit.
- saubeidl 1y agoThe EU missed a generational chance to ditch the faltering US and realign with a rising China. As a result, Europeans will be worse off - including by having American trucks rampage in our cities.
- Havoc 1y agoCan’t say I’m excited about this. Large is fine, as is small but this will result in a mix. Then you get stupid shit like a trucks lights being at eye level for smaller cars. Also not convinced the road infrastructure is side for this. Parking spaces etc
- OptionOfT 1y agoI'm surprised by this, as Belgium changed its tax policy towards these vehicles. It used to be that you could register as a commercial hauler, ergo a lot less tax. Put in an LPG in the back and it's cheap to drive. Lower costs made this interesting, as now you can have a vehicle that can do it all, at lower cost. That tax benefit disappeared in the last 3 years ago, making these vehicle taxable like normal road vehicles, unless you actually have a company (which isn't as easy to get as registering an LLC): https://www.vlaanderen.be/belastingen-en-begroting/vlaamse-belastingen/verkeersbelastingen/verkeersbelastingen-voor-een-pick-up https://www.vlaanderen.be/belastingen-en-begroting/vlaamse-b...
- docdeek 1y agoThe article doesn't say where in the EU these cars are being sold (or will be sold). I've seen the odd one in and around the French city where I live and while my first reaction is "that's a big car" my second reflection is usually around parking and driving that car in the village I live in (too big to be comfortable on the narrow roads, too large to maneuver easily in the city).
- general1726 1y agoThere will be no rapid raise of anything - Driving license of B group (personal cars) is limited to 3500kg car, if you are driving anything heavier you need to have driving license of C group (Goods vans) which costs additional time and money. Furthermore you can't really park these cars in the city. Too big. Another thing that these cars are gas guzzlers price in EU for a gallon of gasoline is around 7 USD So it is a nothingburger, few poseurs will buy it, and that will be it.
- arp242 1y ago> Furthermore you can't really park these cars in the city. Too big. That doesn't seem to stop people where I live. One neighbour routinely blocks the entire footpaths with his ridiculously sized car. In the city centre the already small footpath is frequently blocked by these cars cramming in. Being a selfish jerk is typically a pervasive personality trait.
- gerikson 1y agoI see a few of these here in the greater Stockholm area. I believe most are bought by tradespeople - they need the power to haul stuff and can expense the fuel costs to a degree. Most trades drive panel vans though, which seem to be much more favorable from a raw weight to cargo capacity deal.
- grimblee 1y agoAs a cyclist living in an old european city, this is my nightmare. I fear this will kill me one day, if not through physical force, through air pollution.
- LargoLasskhyfv 1y agoGet an e-bike, mod it to power your mobile HEPA-filtering breathing assist. j/k ;>
- grimblee 1y agoMy, why didn't I think of that ! Use more polluting technology (batteries) to adapt to an avoidable problem instead of just using reasonable cars that don't pollute as much !
- LargoLasskhyfv 1y agoDidn't embrace the cyber hard enough, punk!