Quadricycles: Affordable, But Potentially Deadly?
- by Christian Hensen
- 2 Min
Fatal Incident - "Mopeds pose significant danger": Experts issue safety cautions
Want a new wheeled compartment for under 100 euros a month on lease? Or one you can buy for less than 10,000 euros? That's exactly what micro-cars, such as the Opel Rocks-e, the identical Citroën Ami, or vehicles like the Aixam Access offer. With a class AM license, you can drive one at just 15 years old - no biggie, right?
Well, not so fast. These lightweight motor vehicles might seem appealing, but they come with some pretty dangerous pitfalls. Take it from "Auto Motor Sport," which recently found that micro-cars like Ami and Rocks-e are downright deadly.
City-Smashes: Scary Reality Check
To simulate a real-world collision, they crashed two micro-cars head-on at full speed, 45 km/h, into a flexible aluminum barrier - just like you'd find in a city crash. The result was terrifying.
"Auto Motor Sport" reported that "these testers measured impacts on dummies that would likely have resulted in instant fatality for human passengers." Sayonara, safety.
It's In the Details
Let's break it down for you. In their first test, an Aixam Access, the most popular in its class, was the unfortunate victim. The vehicle's passenger compartment remained intact, but the "lackluster" safety features exposed passengers to extreme forces.
The steering wheel, an airbag-free zone, dealt a fatal blow to the test dummy's head, dispensing a whopping 720 kg of force - way over the legal limit of 80 g. Mind you, that's enough to kill some people.
Similar results were seen with the Citroën Ami. Despite the car's rigid frame, drivers and passengers absorbed the full brunt of the impact, leaving no doubt about a deadly outcome.
No Accountability
So, why do these vehicles fail so spectacularly? The answer lies in the regulatory framework. Due to their classification as quadricycles, micro-cars are subject to safety standards similar to motorcycles and electric scooters, which are surprisingly lax. This means no ABS, no airbags, and no crash sensors for these little death traps.
Manufacturer Response? Laughable
When presented with these frightening findings, manufacturers offered minimal concern. Opel's parent company, Stellantis, pretty much shrugged it off, highlighting the advantages of these vehicles over the competition. Aixam, for its part, claimed that quadricycles cannot compare to passenger cars due to their design, asserting that many safety technologies are "technically not feasible."
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it. Micro-cars, while they may seem appealing, are little more than death traps on wheels. If their acceptable performance in crash tests doesn't scare you, their lack of safety features certainly should. Remember: Anything worth the risk isn't worth the ride. Stay safe, and keep off those roadways.
- The community policy should consider implementing stricter regulations on micro-cars like the Opel Rocks-e and Citroën Ami due to their potential deadly consequences as revealed by the tests conducted by "Auto Motor Sport."
- Employment policies in the automotive industry may need to address the disadvantages associated with the production of micro-cars, such as the lax safety standards that make these vehicles dangerous.
- In light of the risks associated with micro-cars, health-and-wellness and lifestyle choices should prioritize safety when considering the purchase or leasing of vehicles, opting for models with better safety features instead.
- Given the findings from the crash tests, it is likely that local governments will need to take a closer look at the mandatory safety standards for quadricycles, as they currently do not provide adequate protection for passengers.
- The science of automotive safety must evolve to include the development of safety features that are technically feasible in micro-cars, to reduce the likelihood of fatalities in the event of accidents.
