Should 16-year olds be allowed to drive?

A new law has just come into effect allowing 16-year-olds to drive quadricycles. The new European ‘AM’ category is for ultra-lightweight cars (less than 350kg) with a top speed limited to 28mph.

Cars you can drive at 16
The cheapest cars to insure for 17-18 year-olds
 

The case for 16-year-old drivers

By Chris Rees, MSN Cars contributor:

“I’ve got three kids. My daughter has passed her driving test, but my twin boys have yet to pass theirs. So am I in favour of 16-year-olds being able to drive? Absolutely.

“Let’s be clear here – we’re not talking about kids being let loose on powerful cars. The new law is about 16-year-old adults gaining the right to drive a special class of car that’s limited to a top speed of 28mph.

“This new class of car may be new to the UK, but it’s been around in other EU countries for decades. In fact, in France and Italy they allow drivers as young as 14 to get behind the wheel of cars like this, and we don’t see a huge debate about this over there.

“Of course, 16-year-olds do already drive on our roads. Sadly, thus far they’ve been restricted to extremely dangerous mopeds – almost certainly the main reason why statistics show a sudden spike in deaths among 16-year-old males.

“I’d far rather have my children drive one of these quadricycles than a moped – they’re clearly much safer. Four wheels are just much more stable than two, and the Renault Twizy, for instance, comes with a full roll-over cage and an airbag as standard.

“Are 16-year-old drivers of low-powered cars really going to present more dangers than 16-year old motorcyclists? I doubt it.

“Are 16-year-olds reckless yobbos intent on demonising our roads? Of course not.

“There are lots of positive reasons to celebrate the fact that 16-year-olds can now drive quadricycles. Some young people are forced give up further education because they don’t have access to transport; others are prevented from taking jobs for the same reason. This new class of cars could be a real lifeline.

“I like the idea of my kids being more independent – and selfishly speaking, I quite like the idea of not having to ferry them around, too.

“If we want our young adults – and remember, 16-year-olds are adults – to learn useful skills in life, there’s a real opportunity here to let them learn roadcraft at an earlier age, getting them used to roads and other traffic in a low-powered vehicle before they progress to a full-size car at 17.

“Yes, that 28mph speed limit might cause problems for other drivers on country roads, but these cars are really designed for urban environments where you’d be lucky to reach 28mph.

“In any case, I very much doubt that our roads are about to be infested with 16-year-olds driving quadricycles. The price of buying one (around £10,000 for an Aixam) and the cost of insurance (typically around £2,200 for a 16-year-old, according to insurance broker Bikesure) will always keep this type of motoring for a minority.

“And they’ll only be on the road for a year at most, when they’ll doubtless switch to a full-size car – as safer and more mature drivers.”

The case against 16-year-old drivers

By Neil Greig, director of policy & research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM):

“I have some serious concerns about this new development, which has seemingly come from nowhere.

“Research shows that young men at 16 are inherently dangerous. They don’t know enough about road safety. I don’t think that the argument about gaining roadcraft experience holds, because 16-year olds are less open to learning, and there’s no requirement for any other adult or instructor to be in the vehicle.

“The 16-year-old will be required to take a CBT test before being allowed to drive, but the IAM has concerns about the CBT test. The course is only half a day and is meant as an introduction only. At present there is no requirement for further training, and the fear is that after a half a day, 16-year-olds will be driving solo with no extra training, never having had to pass a proper test.

 “There’s a risk with drivers with so little experience being on the roads. The IAM definitely recommends going beyond CBT, but as far as I’m aware, no courses exist to learn about driving quadricycles. The IAM does offer a moped course, but it has very little take-up.

“Yes, these quadricycles are marginally safer than mopeds but they’re not built to the same safety standards as cars. There’s an argument that these vehicles simply provide a bigger vehicle for youngsters to misbehave and make mistakes in.

“And while they’re limited to a top speed of 28mph, will youngsters find a way of tampering with the mechanicals to obtain more performance – as they often do with mopeds?

“We have no experience of these cars in the UK, and the low speeds these cars run at could cause issues for other drivers.

“I’m also concerned that quadricycles can also carry passengers, and there’s strong evidence to show that the more young people you have in a car, the greater the danger. It’s a recipe for disaster.

“Why are we allowing these vehicles on our roads now, when we have such good road safety?

“My advice to parents would be to wait until their children are 17, when they’re old enough to drive a full-size car.”
 

Cars you can drive at 16
The cheapest cars to insure for 17-18 year-olds