Rough translation below, as original is in German:
For years, SUVs have been getting bigger and more luxurious. However, the people who drive these vehicles have not grown with them. To ensure road safety, a child seat requirement for SUV drivers has now been added to the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO). It will apply to numerous car models starting March 1.
“For safety reasons, child seats are now simply a necessity for adults driving SUVs,” explains traffic expert Manfred Salamonik, who was involved in drafting the new regulation. “Firstly, so that the seat belt fits properly and does not constrict the driver’s neck in an emergency. Secondly, so that you can actually see over the steering wheel and reach all the controls and the gear stick in a modern SUV.”
All SUV models built in 2018 or later are affected by the child seat requirement. In these vehicles, it can be assumed that the interior is so large that, relatively speaking, the driver is about as small as a child in a conventional car.
The first adult-sized child seats with five-point harnesses approved by TÜV have been available in stores since this week. Extras such as a built-in cup holder or a Velcro fastener for attaching a favorite cuddly toy or teething ring are available at an additional cost.
Drivers who are at least 2.20 meters tall or weigh more than 250 kilograms are exempt from the child seat requirement.
But it’s not just adults who have to adapt: children traveling in a new SUV will in future need two child seats – one adult-sized seat that is attached to the seat, and one child-sized seat that is attached to the first child seat.
This is a joke, but I have unironically seen and known a number of short kings / queens who…
… pretty much actually do need a child seat to be able to safely operate a large SUV or truck.
If you can’t or can just barely actually see around you… you shouldn’t be driving that car.
Modern pickups are jacked so they have 16-18ft front blind spots. Then, they install these cute motorized steps to get in.
Mechanics now need ladders to see the engine bays.
Seems like a vehicle deficit to me. They could try making the pickups smaller, lower and more energy-effective (also spares €).
When I worked at the state parks we had a new Chevy, I dont remember which truck, but it was SO big. I’m short, that truck was difficult to drive. I had worked for them years prior, with old f-150 s and those weren’t so bad, that new truck was shit though. They didn’t even like us using it for hard/dirty jobs. Like, what’s the point then?
The point is roughly the same as the point of Rogaine, or Viagra.
The entire market demo of modern ‘trucks’ is shooting for ‘make driver feel like big fancy manly man.’
I wanted to buy a full-size truck (I actually have a legitimate use for one, towing and hauling), but my wife’s feet couldn’t reach the pedals so I ended up with a compact pickup (that can’t quite tow enough) instead.
And that was a while ago and I was shopping used, so I’m talking about full-size trucks circa model year 2005, before they became even more gigantic.
Glad you didn’t buy an oversized one (vans are the full-size ones). I kind of view them as “compensation vehicles”, for people who want to be antisocial.
I also have a minivan now. It doesn’t have enough towing capacity either. (In a remarkable coincidence, it’s apparently the same as my Ranger, although I’ve never towed with it because it doesn’t have a hitch.)
Strange, because the ergonomics of a vehicle are standardized regardless of total vehicle size. I only buy subcompacts and at 6’3" I never have a problem with space.
I think maybe designers of small cars work harder to accommodate large people than designers of large cars work to accommodate small people.
(Also, you are definitely picking the subset of subcompacts you fit in, rather than claiming every subcompact would fit you. Nobody 6’3" is fitting in a first-gen Miata with the top up, for example.)
We had to use a rototiller one. The largest size didn’t fit in the car, so we rented one of the trucks from the store.
My 4’11" twin drove it, and no. Not again like that. Horrible. I’m shocked they just went “yep this is fine!” (The store, not my twin)
Goodness, 4’ 11" certainly is short!
Not to, like, height shame or whatever, but yeah, thats… just literally they would have needed a booster seat and like pedal extensions or custom pedals or something, to drive a modern giganto-truck.