An international transport safety body has expressed alarm at EU plans to allow children as young as 16 to drive cars fitted with a speed-limiting device.
The European Transport Safety Council – whose members include the Road Safety Authority in Ireland – has called on the European Commission to drop the proposal that would allow children aged 16 drive vehicles limited to a maximum speed of 45km/h.
The controversial measure has been proposed as part of a major revision of EU rules on driving licences in order to “address mobility issues in remote areas.”
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It follows on from an initiative by the Finnish government in 2020, which was scrapped as it was illegal under current EU
legislation, that would have allowed children as young as 15 to drive cars up to 1.5 tonnes as long as they were fitted with a speed limiter set at 60km/h.
The ETSC said: “The new EU rules would allow Finland and any other member state to go ahead with a ‘cars for kids’ programme, albeit with a lower speed limit and a slightly higher minimum age.”.
It claimed the European Commission’s new measures would also “bizarrely” allow an even higher weight limit for vehicles which would potentially enable 16-year-olds to drive a Mercedes G Class SUV to school as long as it was speed-limited to 45km/h.
However, independent TD for Kerry, Michael Healy-Rae, said he was highly supportive of the measure as it “makes perfect common sense for people living in rural areas.”
He added: “There is nothing in the world wrong with it if it would help rural dwellers to live where they are.”
Mr Healy-Rae expressed hope that the Irish Government would support the measure and in time bring in legislation that would allow it to have effect in the Republic.
He said: “Unfortunately there are some people in Government at the moment that would be happier if nobody drove a car as they think we should all be on bikes or even back on horses and carts.
“I live in the real world and realise that people living in rural area have to live, work and get education.”
ETSC executive director, Antonio Avenoso, said it was particularly ironic that “this crazy idea” was being introduced as part of a so-called road safety package of EU legislation.
The ETSC pointed out that the European Commission’s own impact assessment acknowledged that the measure “may pose an additional road safety risk, particularly for vulnerable road users.”
It had attempted to play down its effects by noting that the speed and weight of vehicles had been “significantly limited”.
The transport safety body said the weight limit proposed of 2.5 tonnes would still allow young motorists to drive some of the heaviest SUVs on the European market.
Mr Avenoso said: “While some wealthy parents may be thrilled at the idea of buying a specially speed-restricted SUV for their child to drive to school, if they do so, they will be putting other children who may be walking, riding a bike or a moped at severe risk. Does it really need to be said that putting children behind the wheel of an SUV is an absolutely dreadful idea?
“This proposal should be immediately consigned to the dustbin of history and effort should instead be put into making our roads safer for children to walk and ride a bike safely.”
Mr Avenoso said research showed young people were worse at reacting to road hazards because of lack of experience.
European Commission said road safety had improved in the last 20 years with road deaths down by 61.5 per cent.
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