New plans would allow children to drive SUV’s.
The European Transport Safety Council has expressed concerns surrounding plans to reduce the legal driving age to 16 in the EU.
The proposed plans would allow children aged 16 to drive cars and other vehicles to a maximum speed of 45km/h.
The international transport body whose members include some of the Road Safety Authority in Ireland has asked the European Commission to scrap the proposal altogether.
The body were assessing the EU’s rules on driving and so suggested the new measures in order to “address mobility issues in remote areas”.
According to The Irish Mirror, these plans mirror ones attempted to be brought in by the Finnish Government.
They wanted 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.
Those plans were dropped in 2020.
In response to this, the ETSC said: “The new EU rules would allow Finland and any other member states to go ahead with a ‘cars for kids’ programme, albeit with a lower speed limit and a slightly higher minimum age”.
It also said that the European Commission’s new measures would enable 16-year-olds to drive a higher weight limit vehicle as long as it had a speed monitor prohibiting it from travelling at over 45km/h.
Some are in favour of the new plans.
Independent TD for Kerry, Michael Healy-Rae, was speaking on Newstalk’s Pat Kenny Show and said he agrees with the new measures because it makes sense for people living in rural Ireland.
He said there’s nothing wrong with it as long as it’s helping people live.
Healy-Rae said some Government officials don’t want to encourage people driving at all and so he believes the new plans won’t become law.
He said: “I live in the real world and realise that people living in rural area have to live, work and get education.
“Allowing people to drive a car when people are already allowed to drive a tractor at that age, it would be good for them.”
Executive Director of the ETSC, Antonio Avenoso, said it was ironic that the idea was being introduced as part of a road safety package by the EU.
The transport safety body said the weight limit proposed of 2.5 tonnes would allow young people to drive some of the largest and heaviest SUVs on the European market.
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. Effort should instead be put into making our roads safer for children to walk and ride a bike safely”.
He also said that young people are not as quick at reacting to road hazards because they lack experience.
