You’ve probably seen them on city and neighborhood streets – Low Speed Vehicles, or LSVs, and minitrucks. Powered solely by electricity, these vehicles represent some of the most cost-effective, environmentally-friendly transportation solutions yet devised.
But the federal National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is not happy – and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is sounding some alarms.
The Problem
If you have not yet seen an LSV, they are somewhat shaped like a pickup truck. They have four wheels, an open cab and a bed in the back. Other than that, they bear greater resemblance to a golf cart in terms of size and power than to a “real” truck – even a small one.
Here’s the issue, according to the current IIHS publication Status Report. These diminutive vehicles were designed for carrying cargo around large industrial and port facilities and private gated communities – not for driving on public roads. Nonetheless, forty-six states now permit these vehicles to be operated on city streets – alongside SUVs, large delivery trucks and tractor-trailer rigs. Amazingly, the state of Alaska allows people to drive these vehicles on highways with speed limits of up to 45 miles per hour.
Not exactly the recipe for a long and healthy life for the driver of the LSV.
The fact is that in addition to their low speed (25 MPH, max) and diminutive size, these vehicles have none of the safety equipment now required on standard vehicles, such as airbags, anti-lock brakes and sensors. What’s worse: many of these LSVs are right-hand drive models from Japan, where people drive on the left-hand side of the road. They’re legal over there, provided they pass a bi-annual inspection. If they don’t pass inspection, guess where they wind up?
Unfortunately, local and state governments around the country are caving in to environmental groups who are demanding that such vehicles be given more access to public thoroughfares. On top of that, as part of the federal stimulus program, people can get a $2,500 tax credit when they purchase an LSV, making them virtually free.
If You Really Want To Go Green…
Based on IIHS crash test results, the Fortwo Smart car (which is by no means perfect, and has its share of issues) is the smallest vehicle that meets federal safety standards when it comes to collisions. Even better choices are hybrids, which actually get better mileage than the Smart without sacrificing space. Granted, these vehicles are much more expensive than an LSV and still make some use of fossil fuels – but consider what your life is worth and whether you are willing to compromise your safety for the sake of a cheap, “zero-emission” vehicle.
In the meantime, it may be time for the federal government to step in and provide some direction for states and municipalities that are paving the road to auto safety hell with their good intentions.
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