Volkswagen has designed a miniature version of one of their cars to cater to little people. This “mini-gol’ is the Volkswagen Gol’s thirty percent smaller concept car. I found this intriguing concept on the Internet a few days ago. At first, I thought it was great and a testament to society’s inclusion of all people. Upon further review however, I have changed my stance and believe this is a major safety issue. If I’m driving eighty miles per hour on a freeway turn and this car merges in front of me, I may not see it. I am concerned that most cars’ front hoods would block their view of these smaller cars. The car’s top speed is barely seventeen miles per hour which makes it unfit for even street driving, where the speed limit is usually around thirty or thirty-five miles per hour.
This car should never make it beyond automobile events, because it is unsafe to other motorists. It is hard to see, drives at a very slow rate in comparison to larger vehicles, and it would create a lot more harm than good. The problem is there are already blind spots with vehicles now, imagine if these cars were allowed on freeways and streets, the blind spots would be endless. Subsequently, all existing cars would have to have alterations to their mirrors to see more places that may cause danger. I understand the intention of creating this car, but I feel like this particular model is too great a risk for automobile owners. My opinion is to create a car that has more height but it still accommodates little people as the Mini-Gol does. I don’t believe this danger is an intentional consequence, but I feel like the design process may have been misguided. Safety is one of the first things you concern yourself with when sketching out a design. It is socially responsible to consider how a design will affect society’s well-being.
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