Put a 2017 Nissan Versa against a 2017 Harley Davidson. They're both allowed on the road.

I've wondered if less safe vehicles (lighter, cheaper, smaller) could be made and required NOT to be on high speed roadways (above 45mph, freeways, etc.), or just have the US admit their regs are too strenuous.

The crash in that video was only at 40 mph. I'm not sure I'd agree with them being too strenuous...

Did you know you can buy baby formula in third world countries for a fraction of the price here? All because evil regulations make companies make use actual safe ingredients and manufacturing practices.

When will this big government madness end. When will the US admit their regs are too strenuous so we can finally buy our cut rate industrial runoff baby formula in peace.

Your comment isn't up to HN standards, and it also misses the point. We already allow two-wheeled death machines on freeways, and we allow people to ride them without helmets, and we allow children to ride as passengers.

Your sarcasm would have made a valid point if modern sedans were the low bar in vehicular safety in the US.

I thought it was illegal to ride a motorcycle/bicycle without a helmet? I'm trying to find a flaw in your argument...but it's not easy. Though I feel as if we shouldn't go back on safety standard progress just because there is a subset of vehicles where there's not much we can do in terms of the vehicle...but I'm sure there is a lot we can do in terms of what the rider wears.

I don't know about US, but in EU you can buy mini-cars that have 4 wheels, but are equipped with 50-250cc engines, and do not classify as cars legally, so you don't even need a car driving licence - a moped driving licence is usually enough. They also don't have to conform to "car" safety standards(they usually do have seatbelts though), and yeah, they are not allowed on the motorways in most EU countries, just like mopeds aren't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW2nI7VdS_U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdw6mgtTwt8

Might as well just ride a bicycle and put that money into developing good cycling infrastructure.

The first 15 seconds are enough.

Spoilers, The Versa is totalled, but the driver can probably survive. The Tsuru has the front half obliterated and the crash test dummy's skin comes out. No airbags on the Tsuru, but who cares, the car body can't survive the crash anyway.

There are other ways to satisfy safety requirements; they just result in cars that are unappealing in most markets. Big rubber wrap-around bumpers, for example. Those are cheap!

That was traumatizing to watch. The Tsuru looks like a 90s Nissan Sentra though that might just be appearances. It makes me sick to see the passenger compartment just plain collapse.

It's pretty much an early nineties Sentra (B13 chassis), yes. There must be some minor production improvements that snuck in there over the years, one would hope, but definitely not much.

That was amazing. The Mexican car just vanished.