[bjoli]

Where I lived until some months ago they usually drive way faster than I do. One memory that stands out is being passed by one driving about 80km/h on a narrow 30km/h road filled with speed bumps, narrowings amd other obstacles. It was a miracle the thing staid on the road.

It was just where all the kids cross the road to school. That was when I changed my mind from "youthful fun" to "ban them".

More than half of all dangerous situation I have been in concerning cars have involved EPA-traktors.

Now whenever one is coming I either walk in the ditch on the side of the road or jump to the other aide of it.

Driving from where I lived to the closest school I was usually passed by 2-5 EPA-traktors, despite driving 80km/h.

I could go on.

[idiotsecant]

Sounds like it conveniently makes the worst drivers easily identifiable. Sounds good to me! I doubt making them drive something else would magically make them safer.

[pjerem]

Well, the question is : why are they the worst ?

At least a driver with a license have been officially trained with security in mind.

Those EPA drivers are, actually, teenagers trained by their teenagers friends. It’s normal for teenagers to underestimate risks and dangers.

That’s basically why a licence is needed to drive : not to explain you how to control a car (that’s a rather simple skill) but how to act on the shared road.

[Nextgrid]

Do they not have a license because they'd rather self-learn, or do they not have a license because they don't meet the required age?

While I don't doubt that some people would not give a shit and self-learn and drive the A-tractors without a license anyway, at least lowering the age for a license would mean that those who want to be safer can get it.

You could even attach restrictions to said license that incentivise safer driving over time - a teenage license can be obtained at 15 but comes with some restrictions that get lifted over time (unless caught breaking the rules) and inherently "converts" to a full license by the time you're 18 assuming you haven't lost it beforehand due to unsafe driving.

[vkou]

The real reason you need a license to drive is so that it can be revoked if you act like an idiot.

[newaccount74]

How about requiring them to get a license to drive a car first? It's not going to fix everything, but at least requiring people to learn about road rules and take an exam before they are allowed to drive would be something that might help a little bit?

[CRConrad]

If they could get a license to drive a car they wouldn't need an EPA in the first place.