One of the many reasons why transparency is #1 at The Autopian is that you, dear readers, are clever as hell. Your ability sniff out even the tiniest sliver of bullshit has led to a Zero Bullshit policy at this humble publication. Such a policy, however, is clearly not in place in the government offices of Georgia, because the state is cranking out steaming, straw-filled mountains of brown, babyback bullshit, particularly of the variety that bans the registration of Japanese Kei Trucks. The reasoning for the ban, according to a number of readers, is utter nonsense. Let’s have a look.
Georgia is laying the smackdown of imported Kei vehicles, citing safety as a primary concern, as Mercedes notes in her thorough writeup of the issue. From that article:
It is important for counties to avoid titling and registering Kei Vehicles. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a report warning that Kei Vehicles cannot protect passengers from collisions with even the smallest, lightest FMVSS vehicles. Kei Vehicles are not safe to be driven on Georgia roads.
This reasoning did not sit well with readers. Why the hell is Georgia banning 25 year-old vehicles because they’re unsafe? Aren’t most 25 year-old vehicles unsafe, relatively speaking? Also, aren’t motorcycles much less safe? Also, aren’t Kei trucks low enough volume that Georgia can just let this slide? I mean, seriously; how many Kei trucks is Georgia expecting to see on the roads? I realize they’re the Hot Newness among many car-fans, but let’s just be real here: If you can drive this legally, you should be able to drive a damn Kei truck:
Anyway, let’s get into some comments:
Bullshit. Autopian readers won’t have it!
Your government now only exists now to force you to fit into what they think a good citizen to be.
Your choices will be continued to be limited until you are no different than the person standing next to you. This will all be done under the guise of safety.
Never trust the intentions of the person who utters the phrase, “if it saves just one life.” They are either profoundly stupid or a shameless liar.
I’m happy the kei vehicles seem to be going strong around Philadelphia where I am. You always catch a glimpse of neat little cars driving around. One of the clients at my job regularly drives a Honda Acty here with the front mount oil cooler and all. I also regularly see a local PHL business with one at the street and craft festivals
I hope JDM owners fight back, win, and sales of kei trucks explode to the point where the big 3 can’t figure out what to do with their piles of severely oversized mommymobiles and have to bury them in landfills whilst they cry and comfort themselves at the sight of kei truck owners parading past the bawling execs with middle fingers flying high and mighty.
LOL, I missed the original post, but this is complete BULLSHIT from GA. It is really funny to hear the official GA statement is because of altruistic safety, when until just a few years ago, you could actually “register” a car just by sticking a handwritten note in the window saying “tag Applied For”. If you put that in your window you basically had 30 days to affix plates, but how many people do you think actually did that?! I used to live in SAV and we would laugh about all the times you would see the same POS rustbucket driving around with a handwritten Sharpie sign on a piece of corrugated cardboard in the rear window… you knew the car was never going to be legally registered!
Any state that doesn’t do vehicle safety inspections (such as Georgia or my lovely home state of Florida) has no business banning any class of vehicle for being unsafe.The number of downright dangerous vehicles you see on the road, such as Altimas with bumpers held on with duct tape and cars (okay, Altimas) that have probably been running on 3 bald tires and a donut for months (if not years), is truly frightening. It’s lazy stupid hypocrisy.
So let me get this straight. Oscar Mayer can register a Giant Weiner, but they want your Beat off the highway?
I don’t know. The crumple zone on the Weinermobile is pretty long!
That’s what she said.
I’d love a BBC investigation, but some countries may censor them.
Yep… absolute utter bullshit. You can legally drive a freaking Model T or a Yugo or Trabant (if you can find one that actually runs) or build and legally drive a homemade/kit car – or ride a motorcycle with ZERO collision protection (or even worse… a “moped” with the same lack of protection – but with the added benefit of being unable to accelerate fast enough to get out of its own way or go fast enough to keep up with the flow of traffic, or even worse than that… a GD bicycle!) …but a Kei car… Ooooooh no… that’s far too dangerous! What a load of crap.
A Can Am Spyder street legal in California, but a taller, faster, caged SXS is not, even though it’s legal in 14 states. (I haven’t figured out how to paste a photo)
The USA: “no small cars, they aren’t safe”
Also the USA: “guns for everyone!”
Oh sure… let’s drag the gun debate into this. Apple/oranges.
Same result when used in an unsafe manner.
the thought being that something that routinely harms others has a big lobby to protect them because it makes them dumpsters full of money vs. JDM imports that don’t benefit those fat cats in Washington.
I thought the different attitudes towards the safety of apples vs oranges might be pertinent.
I’ll try apples vs other apples.
The USA: “no small cars, they aren’t safe”.
Also the USA: “I’m not wearing seat belts/beta test your prototype autonomous cars on public roads”.
When I read the original article, my very first thought was “protectionism.” I have no doubt that dealers, whether of the automotive or recreational variety, are likely behind this. When I told my wife, she immediately sussed out the BS factor and called it.
Incidentally, she and I both think that side-by-sides are a scourge (which may or may not have been affected by our recent rip to the Black Hills).
I agree that it reeks of the dealership association ensuring there is as little competition as possible.
I’m curious if this nonsense is going to spread. I’d love to get one of those 4WD kei trucks with the dump bed. What a cool tool for making Home Depot runs and working on the house. Easy to squeeze into some extra parking space.
I don’t need one of the 1000000 crew cab, 6.5″ bed trucks (none of which have a dump bed) selling for $15k still when they have 200k miles on them and frames that are probably about to turn to dust. But I’m sure the dealer association would hate it if I went ahead and imported a Honda Acty myself instead of buying one of their F-150s.
Big 3: “Ha ha, your stupid little truck is no match for my big, manly, V8 truck with 10,000,000 lbs load capacity and is so tall that you can’t legally park it in a parking structure!”
Also Big 3: “We know what’s best for you and that
awesomeI mean stupid kei truck won’t keep you and your ugly family safe. Our Ram Silverado F350 Lariat Platinum Texas Edition trucks will! Only $350,000 at 95% apr!”Sounds like the usdm vehicle you’re referring to is the Ferd-Fteenthousand
https://youtu.be/F8P5vGcf-NU?si=jju3-BFLkbL5h9rO
Somebody has got ask, what is the actual annual death rate in these things?
If they are making a law one has to ask, is this one of those “nanny” things with no basis of fact or are Kei drivers and crew dropping like flies in Georgia or anywhere?
BTW my neighbor got a cheap electric Vespa look-alike, looks like they are having fun and I’m pissed off.
Probably ranks so where between death by wolves and death by leprosy.
You joke, but Leprosy is back in Florida (of course it’s Florida).
Poor leprosy virus.
“BTW my neighbor got a cheap electric Vespa look-alike, looks like they are having fun and I’m pissed off.”
That’s part of it, someone at a DMV saw a happy person in an RHD car and had to Do Something.
Whenever this subject comes up I always have this strange sense of it just being a silly power struggle or some other sort of ego based BS. Like these Secretaries of State don’t want to be told they have to do the work to process these Kei’s and so they have started another culture war of sorts. They claim it’s about safety, but that obviously feels more like an excuse for a power play.
Remember that you’re not paranoid if they’re really out to get you. 😀
From when this originally came out, I think the best explanation seemed to be lobbying from side-by-side manufacturers. It’s the only industry that seems affected enough by the sale of relatively small numbers of tiny trucks (ie. Handy farm truck that can also go over normal roads). FOI request for funding/donors of the folks behind this?
Yeah, that’s as good or better a reason than my conspiratorial lunacy. Although since most siders aren’t intended to ever be road legal, I wonder how motivated the manufacturers to care.
Perhaps it’s the sense that the secretaries seem so willing to essentially outlaw Kei’s that I find curious. Of course that could be also be attributable to their strong affinity for group think.
But the side by sides Are often legal as low speed vehicles for on rode use in real areas. The black hills example someone else mentioned is a good one. Go to the black hills in SD and you’ll see privately owned & rented out side by sides in most of the small down town areas, driving around on roads & trails & parked at restaurants & bars
Also very visible in Smoky Mountain National Park and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Or, just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
When I think of Georgia all I hear in my head is the music from Deliverance.
Been there a few times, but afraid to leave the Atlanta Airport.
This whole ban the “different” reeks of redneck asshole mentality, wherever it happens.
Hell I want a KEI van or truck just to bug out like a cockroach when the ultimate shit hits the fan. Seems like cheap insurance to have one should you survive the initial shit storm. YMMV.
Bullshit is the word. Screw them.
I lived in coastal Georgia for 9 years, and I periodically drove in and around Atlanta.
Staying in the airport was the right decision. The roads in Atlanta are Thunderdome. Driving a kei car there… well, I suppose I’m not against it, but I sure wouldn’t recommend it.
I live next door to Ga. and honestly have no problems with sharing a border. Now sharing a border with Florida is a whole other issue completely.
It’s really the red state redneck mentality that I find disgusting, no matter where that state is located. And when that sort of stupidity seeps into the government, well then bad shit starts to happen.
BTW I have lived in Alabama since 1976 so ignorant and stupid are familiar to my everyday life experience.
But we had Jimmy Buffett so that almost made life here bearable…
Hmmm, so you’re afraid of Atlanta but you’re also afraid of angry rednecks. I live in ATL so I can tell you that you’re much more likely to run into a Californian than a Georgia hillbilly.
Our roads are terrible though. He’s got a point.
Good news. Not afraid of rednecks, just find them disgusting.
Not afraid of ATL. Just no need to be there, ever.
But am afraid of ignorant small minded people, everyday.
Have a good one.
You should’ve taken the MARTA to downtown. Plenty of good food and good drinks to be had and you’re more likely to run into lawyers, office drones, techbros, financiers, and junior c-suite kids.
Maybe next time. I usually am stuck at the airport waiting for a connecting flight with no time to spare. BTW, thanks, I don’t hate Ga., just not a lot of patience for stupid behavior. Thanks.
No wonder so many people are moving to Tennessee
-note that Duncan Imports opened a satellite office in Nashville sometime back
edit: If this was actually about public safety, I’m willing to lay actual money down that requiring scooter riders to wear helmets would save more people that this BS. A magnitude or two more, I’d say
Pretty sure I’ve seen plenty videos of Georgia residents driving their modified golf carts on public streets, in towns and neighborhoods. All they needed were some DOT approved lights, and perhaps seat belts (unsure about that).
So do we crash test golf carts to ensure they are safe, and only approve those which can withstand an overlap collision with a Hummer EV with minimal passenger cell intrusion?
What’s bothering me more is the fact that cars just keep getting heavier. Remember when the Panther platform was considered huge and heavy? Hell, remember when 70s land yachts were considered huge and heavy? Now they’re lightweight by comparison.
Sherman should’ve finished the job.
That is a fucked-up thing to say. Shame on you.
That was a fucked up thing to say, and I tip my hat to you.
Nevermind the use of “redneck” as a clearly derogatory term aimed at one group of individuals. The word was banned at the school I went to as a racist term.
We now live in a world where I, a southern white man, got a 30-day ban on Facebook for using a “racial slur” for calling another southern white man a “cracker” based on the racist bullshit he was spewing.