Dubai: The Chief of the Dubai Police traffic department has proposed that the legal age for driving be reduced to 16 years from the current 18.
Other role players supported the idea but also called for stricter enforcement of traffic rules regardless of the driving age limit.
The proposal came in a study by Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of the Traffic Department, who cited statistics indicating that roads would be safer if the younger generation were allowed behind the steering wheel.
According to the proposal, the permit for motorists between 16 and 18 would be "highly conditional".
"Reducing or increasing the legal driving age is not an important issue because safe driving comes with the implementation of effective policies to manage and control drivers," said Ahmad Behroozian, chief executive officer of the Roads and Transport Authority's Licensing Agency. He said there are several studies and proposals by officials but they need to be assessed at various levels to gauge their effectiveness before implementation.
Najla Al Awadi, a Federal National Council (FNC) member, supported the proposal, provided strict enforcement of traffic laws is ensured.
"My personal opinion is that it is not a bad idea to start teaching driving to young people from the age of 16 because the younger you start educating them about safe driving, the better it is," she told Gulf News.
She emphasised traffic rules must be implemented "one hundred per cent".
Sultan Saqr Al Suwaidi, an FNC member, said 16 is too early to get a driving licence. "We should start educating young people about road safety and driving in schools and colleges at a younger age, but the driving age should not be reduced."
What according to you is the ideal legal driving age? What would be the consequences, if any, of reducing the age to 16 years?
