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Spain votes in favour of youngsters being allowed to drive at 17
Spain is backing the EU’s proposal to get younger drivers on the road
After months of negotiations, all of the EU member states, including Spain, have reached an agreement that allows people to drive from the age of 17, provided they are accompanied in the car by someone aged 24 or older who has held a full licence for five years.
These younger motorists will only be allowed to drive a vehicle in the country their licence was issued.
Negotiations were so drawn out because the topic is riddled with controversy, but the Ministry of Transport has endorsed the move put forward by Brussels since it has already been successfully rolled out in countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, France and Sweden.
In Spain, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) is also on board, arguing that when a young motorist turns 18 and is allowed on the road alone, they will already potentially have 12 months of driving with someone more experienced under their belt.
However, deputy director of training at the DGT, María José Aparicio is taking a cautious approach: "We will have to evaluate it carefully when the directive is approved that will regulate how and under what conditions it will be implemented.”
On the other hand, the director of Prevention and Road Safety at Fundación Mapfre, Jesús Monclús, has suggested that accompanying adults should have to attend some type of seminar that validates their suitability and equips them with the skills to adequately perform such an important role.
It remains to be seen how popular the new initiative will be, since the data shows that people in Spain are waiting longer and longer to obtain a driving licence. Last year, the DGT processed 278,570 class B licenses (cars and vans) to young people between 18 and 20 years old out of a total of 594,960 issued.
Find all the latest motoring and travel news here or join our Driving in Spain Facebook group for regular updates
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