Maximilien Carlier 10:13 am, April 10, 2023
Will it soon be possible to get your driver's license, and drive alone, from the age of 16? For several weeks, the government has been thinking about a reform of the permit that would effectively allow you to take the exam younger. A measure that divides high school students themselves.The government is considering lowering the legal age to take the exam to 17 and possibly even 16. A gesture for young people, especially those who live far from city centers. But is having the permit before the baccalaureate serious? In Villeneuve-d'Ascq, opinions are divided.
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In front of this high school, at the end of classes, it is the parade of scooters and cars without license. Lower the legal driving age to 17 or even 16? Students have mixed opinions. "It can be nice to be able to drive younger, to go to school, it's convenient," says one of them. "Already at 18, we are at the limit of responsibility, so at 17 or 16, it will be even worse," said another.
Right next door, the parents are mostly on the reserve. "If it's well done and well supervised, why not. Now, if we give the permit to 16-year-olds, without the supervision that goes with it, it will cause big problems, "worries the father of a high school student.
No need for a minimum of 20 hours of lessons?
The objective of this measure is to help young people far from city centers and also to reduce the cost of the permit: the minimum duration of 20 hours of practical courses required could be abolished.
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A very bad idea according to Eric Gravier, driving school manager: "I think it's a collective suicide of road safety. It's almost impossible to train someone safely in less than 20 hours." And the risk, he insists, is to see 16-year-olds arrive immature and in a hurry to drive.