Microcar numbers surge, but safety concerns remain

About 46,000 microcars are now on Germany’s roads, an increase of around 80 percent in three years, according to insurers. But while the small vehicles appeal to young people in rural areas, their limited safety equipment raises concerns, BR reports.

Microcars are restricted to 45 km/h and may weigh no more than 425 kilograms. In Bavaria, people can drive them from the age of 15 with a class AM licence, commonly known as a moped or scooter licence.

For 16-year-old Wasti Hofmann, who lives in Unterhochstätt, a village in the municipality of Chieming, his microcar means he can travel independently to school, music rehearsals, club activities, the fire brigade and his future apprenticeship in Inzell, 25 kilometres away. His parents paid about 13,000 euros for the used vehicle; a new one would have cost around 21,000 euros.

Kirstin Zeidler of the Insurers’ Accident Research department says microcars look like small cars but lack many of their safety features. To stay within the weight limit, manufacturers often leave out equipment such as airbags. On country roads, other drivers may mistake them for faster small cars and misjudge their speed, increasing the risk of rear-end collisions. Zeidler says the weight limit should be adjusted to allow manufacturers to install more safety equipment.

Insurers do not yet have comprehensive, reliable accident statistics for microcars. Their figures suggest the vehicles are involved in fewer accidents on average than mopeds. However, when a crash does occur, it tends to be more serious, Zeidler says, possibly because of the limited safety equipment. The ADAC plans to carry out crash tests on microcars next year.