Government to crack down on underage drivers

17-year-old drivers without adult supervision to be stripped of driving licence on the spot

Christian Wenande

Jan 7, 2019

A broad majority in Parliament has agreed to toughen the penalty for 17-year-old drivers caught driving without adult supervision following a spike in cases.

Currently, 17-year-olds caught driving alone face a 3,000 kroner fine – a punishment that will in future be replaced by them being stripped of their licence on the spot and required to retake the driving licence test upon turning 18.

“We need to act on this. I myself have received messages from driving instructors who report that some of the youngsters have a lax attitude when it comes to driving under supervision. A 3,000 kroner fine doesn’t seem to scare them,” Kristian Pihl Lorentzen, the Venstre party spokesperson for transport issues, told DR Nyheder.

READ MORE: Danish teen driving experiment a success so far

Driving lackadaisical
According to new figures from the state police Rigspolitiet, the number of cases involving 17-year-olds driving without adult supervision has shot up from 43 in 2017 to 162 last year.

In 2016, Parliament agreed to a three-year trial period that permitted 17-year-olds to take the driving licence test as long as they were accompanied by an adult until they turned 18.

The trial period will be evaluated at the beginning of 2020, and a decision will be made on whether it will be made permanent.

A total of 25,000 17-year-olds obtained a driving licence in 2018 – an increase of 3,000 compared to the year before.

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