Bowling ball claim strikes nerve

Japan’s government has been quick to defend its car safety tests after United States President Donald Trump repeated a false claim that bowling balls are used by officials to check the strength of vehicles.

Trump, pictured inset, made the wacky allegation during his first term in 2018, saying a Japanese test of foreign vehicles involves a bowling ball being dropped on the bonnet from a height of about six metres.

The president claimed a car would not qualify for the market if the bodywork suffered a dent, adding that the way Americans were treated was “horrible”, reports NHK World Japan.

A White House press secretary at the time said Trump was joking and fact-checkers concluded his odd claims were false.

However, he repeated the accusation in a social media post this month, labelling the alleged test as “non-tariff cheating” and an example of protective technical standards.

Japan’s transport ministry has been forced to defend its methods and says it has no such test for new models that manufacturers want to sell or produce in Japan.

However, one test it conducts involves a spherical device being fired at the bonnet of cars at speeds of 35kph to check whether a vehicle meets a standard designed to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

The ministry notes the ball-shaped device, designed to resemble a human head, is only launched from a height of about two metres in the test, reports NHK World Japan.

To watch a full report on Trump’s claims and Japan’s response, click here.

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