Low-speed vehicles aren't designed to protect their occupants in crashes.
Although low-speed vehicles (LSVs) must be equipped with basic features
like lights, mirrors and safety belts, they are exempt from most
federal motor vehicle safety standards, and they don't have to meet any
criteria for vehicle crashworthiness. They aren't required to have
airbags or other safety features beyond belts since they're intended for
short trips in residential neighborhoods and other low-risk driving
situations.
Most states allow LSVs on certain roads, usually those with 35 mph or lower speed limits.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines
appropriate performance and safety standards for LSVs but has no say in
where LSVs are driven. The same goes for minitrucks, which are legal to
operate on some roads in 16 states, even though they weren't designed to
meet U.S. safety or emission standards.
The federal government doesn't recognize medium-speed vehicles as a vehicle class.
NHTSA in 2008 denied petitions to create a new medium-speed vehicle
(MSV) class. The agency said that unlike LSVs, MSVs travel in
higher-risk traffic situations and should comply with all of the safety
standards set for passenger cars. Despite the agency's decision not to
recognize MSVs, nine states allow them on certain roads with 35-55 mph
or lower speed limits.
