16 year olds would be allowed to drive legally on UK roads

Many teenagers will be delighted to know that in January 2013, a new law will come into effect whereby a 16 year old will be able to drive a micro car. In some European countries, this is already the norm and in France, you are able to drive at the age of 14.

The term micro-car refers to a vehicle smaller than city cars and to comply with the British law, it needs to weigh no more than 350Kg and travel at a maximum speed limit of 28mph. For those who will be turning sixteen in January 2013, it is important to note that although you do not need a conventional driving licence to operate the microcar, you are required to pass a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training), driving theory test and practical as well. There’s no need to worry though because the test will not be as hard as that for getting a proper car licence but you’re still required to have a good awareness of the Highway Code since you’ll be sharing the road with other drivers.

Meet the Renault Twizy

Renault which launched the Twizy 80, powered by an electric motor, is taking advantage of the change in the law and will release a new version of their vehicle, called Twizy 45, which will meet the standards required for a 16 year old car in the UK. The sale price is speculated to be £6200 which is £500 less than its other model capable of speeds upto 80mph. It’s also worth noting that the battery pack for the vehicle needs to be leased and can cost £56 a month on average.

As a first car for a teenage driver, the Twizy seems quite expensive and you’ve yet to add the insurance premiums on top. On average young drivers pay £3000-4000 for car insurance and that means the 16 year old is looking at a whopping £10,000 to get on the roads. In a few years time when the teenager is ready to get a full driving licence, the driving experience will count and lead to a cheaper quote but the fact remains that you’re going to pay a huge amount for car insurance whether you start driving at 16 or any age under 25. This is going to be more appealing for kids who can’t wait to drive and can afford the extortionate costs right the beginning.

Many people don’t like the idea of them having to drive amongst 16 year olds because for one, younger drivers tend to be more careless and cause the most accidents but more importantly, this will create more congestion. People are already frustrated with the amount of traffic jam when going to work and coming back and now that’s going to get even worse when this new law is implemented. The fact that the micro car is smaller than a normal car could see drivers of that vehicle trying to squeeze through just like riders of motorbikes and that’s going to annoy a lot of people.

As the change in the law is imminent, what’s your opinion about it all?