China’s automotive landscape is buzzing with innovation, and minicars are leading the charge. Unlike Japan’s Kei cars, which follow a strict formula that restricts engine size and dimensions, Chinese minicars have no fixed definition. Generally, the max length is about 11 feet. Most are three-door hatchbacks, but automakers also sell five-door variants, coupes, and off-road […]
To bad we will never see these in the states.
Unless you introduce another vehicle class that doesn’t require the same comprehensive crash tests as a regular car. In China bicycles were the number one means of transport until like 20 years ago, so there were bike lanes in abundance, that have then been converted to e-bike lanes, usually with a divider to both the main road and sidewalk. Opening those up for those small cars was easy enough, so traffic flows pretty neatly. That is, totally chaotic, but without different vehicle types obstructing one another unless for major intersections.
Does China have separate infrastructure for their industry driving or is it just not a common enough thing to worry about?
To be clear, I’m asking about things like semi trucks and not doordash
Trucks with an empty weight above 3.5 metric tons require separate licenses, and are also tested for road safety in accordance with stricter standards.
I’m not very familiar with how it works in the US, but at least on paper the requirements are pretty much on par with most of Europe.
The main difference is that there are no laws requiring drivers to keep rest periods, and maximum loads are considered a recommendation at best. That’s why you still have a fair number of incidents involving trucks, their brakes for example are tested to decelerate while hauling 20 tonnes, but if in reality it’s closer to 40, even the most generous tolerances aren’t working out.
Fines are a slap on the wrist really, and checks are very random and uncommon (in my 7 years I once encountered a road block on the highway where they actually checked vehicle’s weights, and that was right after a bridge in the city of Wuxi collapsed under an overloaded truck).
Let me check if there’s an English article about that.
Edit: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/eight-people-dead-two-injured-in-bridge-collapse-in-china
Who are you, God? Internet strangers doing things for the good of others is a sight for sore eyes
Why not?
General defeatism-mindset. It can never happen because people keep thinking change can’t happen.