BMW Is Recalling Every American i3 Because Someone Might Get Hurt If They Don't Wear A Seat Belt
BMW is recalling every i3 it has ever sold in the USA, and the reason why is astonishing.
It comes on the grounds that government testing has discovered that a female of a specific height and weight sitting in the passenger seat might be at “marginally” higher risk of neck injury when, err, not wearing a seat belt.
Surely you’re also at significantly greater risk of having your organs turned to soup when you bounce around the interior of the car like it’s a human pinball machine, so a tiny bit of sans restraint neck trauma is neither here nor there.
Sadly, that’s not how the authorities see it. This is the famously humourless National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the same organisation that wants electric cars in the US to make noises below 19mph in case people are too stupid to look before crossing the road. The NHTSA is our absolute favourite government agency. Wait, no, the opposite of that.
The madness in this case is over the i3 failing a ‘front rigid barrier’ crash, where a female in the front passenger seat who is five feet tall and weighs 50kg (110lb) is judged to be at fractionally higher risk of neck injury – again, when she’s not wearing a seat belt.
There should be a clause in the law saying that if you don’t wear your seat belt you’re not allowed to complain if you get injured, but instead BMW has issued a voluntary recall, possibly under pain of NHTSA enforcement action, for more than 30,500 cars.
In a statement BMW said:
“While BMW’s compliance testing showed results well below the required limits, more recent testing has shown inconsistent results.
“Consequently, BMW has issued a recall and is working with the agency to understand the differences in the test results. A remedy is forthcoming.”
It’s not often we really feel for a car company, but in this case…
Source: Autoblog
Comments
“Somebody might get hurt if they don’t wear a seatbelt”
at first the picture didn’t load but then it loaded and it made your comment the best thing ever
“A remedy is forthcoming”
The remedy being PEOPLE WEARING SEATBELTS!
I wonder if any American car companies have had the same issue…
5ft tall girls need a fuucking booster seat on the drivers seat to see let alone drive
“There at an extra risk for not wearing a seat belt” Thats their fault isn’t it?
Why do you deem the EV-sound a stupid measure ? Do you realise how many accidents are averted because someone actually hears a car coming ? And this has nothing to do with looking before you cross the street - it affects children, blind people, as well as situations where you can’t see the street you’re about to step in (because of obstructions in view, etc).
Let’s be honest how many of us have been warned of an oncoming car they hadn’t seen by its sound ? Pretty sure every one of us
Except that a lot of cars now are close to as quiet as an EV. So all cars should make a beeping sound?
Smol women
Looks like they don’t care
Up next:
“Mercedes issues a recall because the stopping distance is too long when not using tyres”
“Audi issues a recall because the car accelerates rather than stops when you mix up the pedals”
“BMW issues a recall because headlights emit mysterious pulsing amber light when you touch an unknown stalk behind the steering wheel”
“Ford issues a recall because NHTSA discovered that if you leave your hand on the door sill and shut the doors, you get broken fingers”
“Honda issues a recall because if you drive into the lake, the cabin fills with water and the driver may drown”
“Hyundai issues a recall if you text and drive there the car cant be controlled properly and there is a risk of death”
The Audi one actually happened though.
‘’Opel issues a recall because if you crash, you could be in a crash’’
All cars affected are in the misteryous USA.
The Honda one actually happened
How does an american even fit in a i3? :P
If you don’t wear your seatbelt you’re always at risk.
America isn’t even the fattest country.
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