Euroviews. The EU needs to make a U-turn on teenagers driving lorries

Imagine driving a car along a rural road at night with your kids asleep in the back. Conditions are a little foggy, and visibility is reduced. 

All of a sudden, a 40-tonne articulated lorry is coming towards you from the opposite direction. 

As it approaches, only a dotted white line on the road separates you and your family from oblivion. 

Who do you want behind the wheel of that lorry? A driver with several years of experience of driving in such conditions? 

How about a teenager, straight out of school?

Since 2006, the European Union has sensibly recommended a minimum age of 21 for lorry drivers, and 24 for bus drivers. 

But in recent years, the road transport industry has been pushing to lower these minimums as a cheap way of solving the recruitment crisis in the sector. 

Offering better conditions, more reasonable driving and rest times and less time away from home are out — hiring school leavers is in.

Road industry lobbying has worked. With the EU’s blessing, a number of member states have lowered the minimum age — usually to 18 for lorry drivers — as long as the youngsters have completed additional professional training in addition to the required practical and theory tests.

But the icing on the cake for the transport sector would be if all member states were required to do this, and teenagers could drive lorries across the continent. 

The industry wants to go further still, and allow 16 and 17-year-olds to begin accompanied driving of lorries, to begin driving solo as soon as they hit 18.

Last March, the European Commission gave in to the pressure and published a proposed revision of rules on driving licences that would require member states to offer an accompanied driving scheme enabling 17-year-olds to drive a lorry. And