Dutch driving age likely to fall to 17 years
The Dutch cabinet has given its approval to decrease the age someone in the Netherlands is allowed to get behind the wheel of a car from 18 years of age down to 17. The 17 year olds who pass their written exams are then allowed to get on-the-road training from an instructor, with the goal of passing their practical exams when they turn 18.
A pilot programme in the Netherlands allowed 170 thousand 17-year-olds to pass their written exams over the last five years. A proposal to make the change permanent was sent by infrastructure minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen to the full cabinet, winning its consent.
It was sent to the Dutch Council of State for review, before it is submitted to parliament. The rule change would be similar to existing laws in France, Germany and Sweden, the Dutch government said in a statement.
Schultz van Haegen hopes that having younger people spend more time learning how to use a car before their 18th birthdays will lead to a reduction in traffic accidents involving novice drivers, the statement said.
