Belgium's Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) is considering following France and Italy in banning young drivers from using fast cars. However, a new analysis published on Wednesday by road safety institute Vias shows that powerful cars are rarely involved in crashes involving novice motorists, Belga News Agency reports.
The French parliament approved a law at the end of July which bans drivers from driving powerful vehicles for up to three years after obtaining their licence. The exact category of vehicles covered has yet to be defined. In Italy, such a ban already exists, and Belgium's Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke is now also suggesting introducing a similar restriction.
However, according to an analysis published by road safety institute Vias on Wednesday, only 3% of these incidents involving drivers aged 18-24 occurred in cars with more than 200 horsepower. For the entire population, this accounts for 6% of accidents.
"From a philosophical standpoint, we can understand the proposal. Young people have an increased risk of an accident, so it might be a good idea not to give them a powerful car immediately," said Vias spokesperson Stef Willems.
However, he warned that the idea would be difficult to apply in practice. "Most families only have one car available. And there are other factors besides power. An electric car with high power is not the same as a small, lightweight sports car, which with fewer horsepower might actually encourage faster driving."
Possible solutions
Touring spokesperson Danny Smagghe said the focus should be on driver behaviour rather than the type of vehicle being used. "Are we talking about reckless driving, drunkenness, or excessive speed? We should concentrate on education and behaviour control," he told Belga.
According to road assistance company VAB, a technical solution may be available in the future. "New Volvos, for example, already have two keys," said VAB spokesperson Gert Verhoeven. "One of these can be programmed to, for instance, limit the maximum speed."
VAB also suggested that reforming driver training could be another option. The organisation, which also runs driving schools, said Belgium could take inspiration from motorcycle training rules.
Eighteen-year-olds can only obtain a licence for a low-powered motorcycle, with access to more powerful machines granted only when they're older. "And currently, the insurance premium already acts as a deterrent," Verhoeven said. "Insurers base their premiums on the vehicle's power and the driver's age."
