The Tesla Cybertruck is the car of the moment. Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying its celebrity status. One Cybertruck owner in the United Kingdom assumed his truck's popularity might allow him to skirt the law. But it backfired spectacularly.
The local police of Bury, a town just north of Manchester, said Thursday on Facebook that it seized a Cybertruck after performing a traffic stop in the nearby town of Whitefield. Police say the unnamed driver was a permanent United Kingdom resident, but the Cybertruck was registered and insured abroad—an illegal pairing, according to the organization.
The Cybertruck was seized under section 165 of the UK's Road Traffic Act, which allows police to take possession of vehicles without proper insurance.
Even if the owner wanted to register and insure the car domestically, they couldn't. According to Bury Police, the Cybertruck doesn't carry a certificate of conformity, a necessary document from the manufacturer stating the car conforms to all local regulations. That means it can't be registered for UK roads in any capacity.
The precinct goes one step further, calling out the safety concerns widely associated with the Cybertruck's questionable design.
"Whilst this may seem trivial to some, legitimate concerns exist around the safety of other road users or pedestrians if they were involved in a collision with a Cybertruck," the police said.
We're inclined to agree. The Cybertruck lacks traditional crumple zones and weighs nearly 7,000 pounds, making it especially dangerous for non-occupants.
"We hope Tesla don't bring this vehicle to Europe," the European Transport Safety Council told Reuters back in 2023. "A vehicle of this size, power, and huge weight will be lethal to pedestrians and cyclists in a collision."
There's also the Cybertruck's sharp edges. Though countless jokes have been made online depicting what would happen if a carrot got caught in the closing frunk, there's a real concern that even slow-speed impacts with pedestrians can cause serious injury.
To see police overseas taking a stance against the Cybertruck's hostile design is refreshing. Maybe US regulators can learn a thing or two.
