“This decision was taken without measuring the consequences”: the concern of driving school instructors regarding the license at 17 years old

“Il aurait fallu faire au cas par cas”, juge Nathalie Semène, monitrice d'auto-école. MAXPPP – Patrick Lefevre

Nathalie Semène, instructor but also head of the Bitterois 34 Driving School, is the spokesperson for teachers in Béziers. She points out the inconsistencies and gray areas around this change. 

What was your first reaction when this change was first mentioned last June ?

The first reaction we had was: "how are we going to accommodate this wave ?". Currently, working 35 hours per week, a teacher trains 5 to 6 students. Our allocation of places for the examination by the Prefecture is based on this. There, a wave of young people will want to get their license. We will once again face a traffic jam, like after Covid, which will last a year. This decision was made without measuring the consequences.

850,000 young people will be 17 next year. If we take only 10%, that's 85,000 students to be distributed throughout France. We lack examiners and instructors. From now on, the failure rate, which is already high at 18, will be even worse. 

What are the gray areas that such a change entails ? 

First there is the deconstruction of accompanied driving which was a superb solution. Thanks to this, there was a reduction in accidents caused by young people. Today it’s simple: all our kids are calling us to stop this training and take the exam early. There is also the question of insurance. What are we going to do with these minors if they kill someone on the road ? Who will go to court ? Who will be held responsible ? We will have to create laws. Then prices are also likely to increase.

Then, we must not forget the supervised driving which allowed those who failed to obtain their license to still drive with someone who has had a license for more than 5 years. Normally, when a person fails the exam, there is such a wait to retake their license that they are sent off for supervised driving. However, this possibility is only possible from the age of 18. There, what are we going to do with 17 year olds who will fail ? They will not be able to access supervised driving.

Finally, will our European neighbors be able to get their driving license in France at age 17 ?  And conversely, will a 17-year-old Frenchman be able to drive in Spain, Italy or elsewhere ? This is a question that may arise. It is not normal that all these questions have not already been clarified.

At 17, are you really ready to drive alone ? 

Some yes, others not at all. But it's the same at 18. At that age, everyone wants to impress their friends. Except that there will be more people on the roads, so the risk of accidents is greater. This measure would have been interesting if it were reserved for young people who have done accompanied driving. But it should not be opened to all young people. This decision is very complex. For example, it would have been necessary to do it on a case-by-case basis: if a young person is in a rural area, far from transport, then in this case yes, it is wise to have a license at 17 years old . 

At least, it was not a measure to be applied now. Even if it meant lowering the driving age, we would have had to do like in Canada, where young people only drive automatic transmissions, and where cars are restricted. There, those who have had their license for less than a year cannot drive in the evening or on weekends, and they are not allowed to transport friends. This method would have been consistent in France. 

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