Copyright yle
The transport ministry has announced it is inviting comments on a draft proposal to amend the Driving Licence Act, which it said aims to improve road safety for young drivers. The ministry noted that although road safety has improved in recent times, there is room for further improvement. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's (NCP) government programme includes a goal for 'zero' road fatalities in the country by the year 2050, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said in a press release on Monday. Improving safety on the roads needs additional measures, which the ministry said will particularly focus on young drivers "who are overrepresented in accident statistics". Finland's legal driving age is 18, but a law change in 2018 allowed 17-year-olds to obtain driving licences under certain, less-stringent circumstances. The ministry has previously noted that the reform had a partly negative impact on road safety. Tightening of the rules The minstry said its draft proposal would "clarify and partly tighten the conditions under which a 17-year-old may obtain a passenger car driving licence with an exemption". The aim, according to the ministry, is to ensure that the exemptions are only granted to a young person's "continuous and essential need for mobility", while also improving safety on the roads. It noted that young people can currently be granted exemptions if they need to regularly travel for leisure activities or to study. After the law is eventually changed, the requirements would call for such journeys to be necessary "at least four times a week". "At present, there is no clear definition of regularity. The one-way distance would need to be at least seven kilometres on foot if public transport is unavailable, or the journey would take at least 90 minutes by public transport. Currently, the requirement is five kilometres or one hour. A parent or other person who has custody of the young person would confirm the information," the ministry's release read. Nighttime driving ban Following the reforms, 17-year-old driving licence applicants will need to provide more precise documentation to prove their need to travel, according to the ministry. "For example, a student could prove the need to travel with a certificate of attendance from the educational institution, and a working young person with an employment contract of at least two months. Currently, shorter contracts have been sufficient to obtain an exemption. For leisure activities, the need would be demonstrated with a certificate from a sports federation for competitive training or from an educational institution for attending basic education in the arts," the ministry stated. Among other provisions, the draft proposal also includes a ban on nighttime driving for 17-year-olds, between midnight and 5am. "Breaching the ban could result in a fine and a driving disqualification. To enable monitoring, a 17-year-old driver would need to mark their vehicle with a special sign. Failure to display the sign could lead to a 100-euro traffic penalty fee imposed by the police," the ministry's release read.
