(not my image. I just find these comical and incredibly dangerous)

  • protist@retrofed.com
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    5 days ago

    They aren’t.

    Confidently incorrect. Maybe they’re illegal some places, but definitely not most places. In Texas, they’re not illegal, but it can be illegal if they make your vehicle more than 8 feet wide. Since they’re usually on sedans, they usually don’t hit 8 feet.

    Also they’re more specifically a thing in Black culture in Houston. I see them pretty rarely in other Texas cities

    • lokalhorst@feddit.org
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      5 days ago

      Maybe they are legal in a few places. There is more places in the world than just a couple of US states.

      • protist@retrofed.com
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        4 days ago

        I’d be interested to hear where they’re illegal and what that law says

        Edit: Coming back to this, just looked into EU regulations and it’s clear these are not outright prohibited, as the laws related to hubcaps focus only on fitment and detachment risk. However, most EU countries require non-OEM parts to receive government approval prior to hitting the market, almost certainly ensuring nothing like this would ever be sold there.

        • joe_archer@lemmy.world
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          4 days ago

          Every single European country. No moving part of a car can extend beyond the fixed bodywork. Even “open wheel” cars have to have the top 180 degrees of tyre covered.

          • protist@retrofed.com
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            4 days ago

            I’m reading something different in the EU, that only the tire treads can’t extend beyond the car body

        • lokalhorst@feddit.org
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          4 days ago

          In Germany for example this is so unthinkable it’s like somebody saying “tell me the law that says I can’t steal vegetables from the super market”. Please do your own research, some things just are illegal without me needing to cite a law.

          • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
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            4 days ago

            My thoughts exactly. “Show a me law that says I can’t attach two giant swords on each side of my car that will cut in half everyone that I pass by close enough. I’m sure you can’t”. American mind is sometimes hard to comprehend.

            • yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de
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              4 days ago

              It’s illegal because it endangers other people. People on bicycles, motorcycles or on foot are particularly vulnerable. People don’t expect literal whisks to stick out from the wheels of a car.

              Without even knowing which law regulating vehicle specifications is violated, I am positive that the German §1 (2) StVO is already violated:

              Anyone participating in traffic must conduct themselves in such a way that no other person is harmed, endangered, or hindered or inconvenienced more than is unavoidable under the circumstances.

            • BCsven@lemmy.ca
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              4 days ago

              Even Texas has unsafe protrusions rule, but a cop would have to enforce it. No part of the vehical can endanger pedestrians.

        • Hanrahan@slrpnk.net
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          4 days ago

          Australia, can’t protrude past the factory wheel arches. Also, a trailer can’t be wider than the vehicle towing it.

        • MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip
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          4 days ago

          Coming back to this, just looked into EU regulations and it’s clear these are not outright prohibited

          No law expert either but the pointy figurines people put on the hub front in the 70s? They are illegal; not specifically but by endangering all the other participants on the street. Bet wheel spikes fall under the same rules.

          Btw, this is something i observed recently: US tends to make rules reactively and case-specific, which is why it needs to also define wrong-doing or not specifically (“don’t dry your hamster in the microwave” warning label). While europe countries try to abstract general rules, just like in this case. I think the second approach works better for a healthy society.

        • ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net
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          4 days ago

          , just looked into EU regulations and it’s clear these are not outright prohibited

          I don’t even know what are we talking about here. I’m 1000% sure you would not be able to drive more than 100m with rims like that in Europe. Someone would immediately call the caps and they would immediately immobilize the car and send the driver to jail.

    • baines@lemmy.cafe
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      5 days ago

      what? they are a pedestrian hazard, how would these not be illegal in every state?

    • M137@lemmy.today
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      4 days ago

      Americans proving their inability to understand their country isn’t the world just never stops.
      You’d ever only see these in the US, it doesn’t matter if they’re specifically illegal elsewhere because it just doesn’t happen (on normal roads, outside very rare shows etc.).
      It’s so fucking tiring not being able to get away from 'Muricans like you who are so deep into their own shit that you’re unable to even start to understand anything else.