The iconic Cybertruck was finally launched in the U.S. in 2019—after sizable delays—and has since generated a cult following. The controversial supposedly “bullet-proof” vehicle with the radical, edgy design, however, has generated intense debate outside of America.

Especially in the U.K. When British police pulled over and seized a Tesla Cybertruck near Manchester last month, as the driver did not possess the all-important “certificate of conformity,” it shone light on the vehicle’s serious safety shortcomings.

The bottom line, though, is that the vehicle is actually banned in the U.K., which means it cannot be legally driven on public roads as it does not meet the country’s safety standards in many ways.

This news is controversial however as the Tesla truck has only just recently earned a five-star rating from America’s traffic authority—NHTSA, the highest score available. In the frontal barrier test, where a vehicle is slammed into a flat, rigid wall at 35 mph to simulate “a head-on collision between two similar sized vehicles,” the Cybertruck earned a five-star score for the driver and a four-star rating for the front passenger.

It also passed the side-impact and side pole intrusion test with flying colors. And finally, in the rollover test, the Tesla earned a four-star rating, most probably because the heavy battery pack mounted below the floor helped keep things planted.

But all that means nothing in the U.K. The Brits see things very differently. Let’s now look into vehicle design where five fundamental Tesla engineering decisions—from the Cybertruck’s bespoke stainless steel surfaces to its sharp edges and heavy curb weight—clash with UK safety standards rendering the truck illegal. In a social media post, Greater Manchester Police commented that “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 the Cybertruck.”

So what are the issues? Firstly, the Tesla truck tips the scales at a whopping 6,898 pounds which means it’s too heavy for most UK motorists to legally operate in normal town situations. The vehicle’s size at 2.2 meters wide is prohibitive too as most town or country lanes are just 3 meters wides.

Secondly, the sharp edges make the car a pedestrian hazard. UK law requires a minimum of 3.2 millimeters (0.12 inch) wide rounded edges for any protruding parts. One look at this Tesla and UK accident and insurance assessors start having kittens. But those edges are actually one main reason why the car is banned. In fact, one main directive preventing Tesla from bringing the Cybertruck to the UK and the EU for that matter, is the law that bans the sale of passenger vehicles that "exhibit sharp external projections." It kind of goes without saying, but one reason why the vast majority of vehicles on sale today have rounded edges is to give pedestrians a fighting chance in the event of a collision.

Speaking of crashes, you don’t really want your car to be as rigid as a tank, or like the Cybertruck. It should crumple like an accordion to absorb and disperse impact energy, especially if it’s colliding with another vehicle, which should also crumple like an accordion—which is a major safety strategy of carmakers to try to minimize injuries and save lives. The Tesla does not do that. The Cybertruck’s so-called 30X steel is about three times harder than normal car steel, does not crumple like a standard car, and its edges can, in an accident, be as sharp as knives.

Fourthly, that iconic full-width light bar across the front of the vehicle may look cool, but it does not meet U.K. lighting regulations. British laws require certain luminosity levels, precise positioning and specific visibility angles of headlights. Unfortunately, the cool looking Cyrbertruck light bar breaks six different requirements in one package and creates serious visibility issues. That’s why 99% of cars have individually-housed headlights for a reason, and headlights, indicator lights, running lights all needs specific position to be effective.

And the fifth issue that British authorities have with the Tesla truck is its instant torque mixed with the vehicle’s huge mass. Weighing over 6,800 lbs (that’s over 3 tons!) the Cybertruck will sprint from 0-60 mph in just 2.6 seconds which is supercar territory. Britain’s National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Hominy said, “The Cybertruck is an over-6000 lb piece of steel that has no business going a quarter mile in under 11 seconds.” Can’t argue with that.

So what does all this mean? Well, to start with, you definitely won’t be seeing Cybertrucks on British roads any time soon. But on the flip side, this Tesla truck issue may have actually done the British EV market a favor. By focusing on these safety standards with such a fine tooth comb, the authorities have sparked a crucial conversation about EV design. Should carmakers be creating vehicles that prioritize outrageous designs over safety standards like the Cybertruck? It looks like the debate has only just begun.