Tiny Truck Enthusiasts Push For Bill To Protect Imports
Enthusiasts in Texas are seeking a win to help protect the importation and registration of Japanese Kei pickup trucks that are 25 years old or older (like that Skyline GT-R so many want to import). On March 3, State Senator Kelly Hancock introduced SB 1816 to protect minitrucks while making sure it details what qualifies as a minitruck. According to the bill, it’s “a miniature car, truck, van, or bus manufactured in Japan,” with a 1.2-liter or smaller internal combustion engine, a top speed of 50 mph or under, and a height of 140 inches or less and a width of 60 inches or less. But that’s not all.
The truck must also have headlights, stoplights, turn signals, taillights, a rearview mirror, windshield wipers, and a parking brake. If passed, the bill will go into effect on September 1, 2025. It will act as a backstop to a previous win after activists managed to get the Department of Motor Vehicles to change its policy banning the Kei trucks. If it becomes law, the DMV can’t change its policies on a whim afterward. Motor1 reached out to the founder of the advocacy group Lone Star Kei, David McChristian, who said this is “a big step toward making sure 25-year-old Japanese miniature vehicles can be legally titled and registered in Texas.”
Texas DMV Started This
After he discovered discrepancies in the Texas DMV’s enforcement of its previous policies last year, McChristian contacted 180 Texas state representatives asking them to look into the state’s policies. He went on to say the changes are “a huge win for owners, small businesses, and rural communities that rely on them. This bill takes it a step further by locking that policy into state law so there’s no question in the future about whether these vehicles belong on the road.”
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More Cars Ought To Be Measured By The Same Yardstick
The Lone Star Kei group isn’t only about advocating for Kei trucks in Texas, though. Mini trucks have beenunder siege across the states, mainly due to the perseverance of the American Associates of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). The AAMVA’s standard stance is that the trucks don’t meet FMVSS, EPA, and NHTSA standards, and the organization is currently working through the list of US states to push its anti-tiny truck agenda. However, you’ll notice it’s not pushing to ban 1960s, 1970s, or 1990s cars you see on the road that also don’t meet these standards.
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A suspicious mind would wonder if the member-driven AAMVA had something to do with Kei cars being cheaper and easier to maintain than a utility terrain vehicle (UTV). Also, the majority of UTVs cannot be driven on the road legally. On the other hand, AAMVA is heavily involved with law enforcement and has a long list of both government agencies and corporations as associate members. A group like that has to wield its power to be seen wielding its power, whether necessary or not. It’s interesting to note that since we brought up concerns about the AAMVA, it has put its member list behind a log-in wall.
Source: Motor1
