The European Parliament and member states agree: Sweden does not need to raise the age limit to drive an A-tractor from the current 15 years.
At the same time, the EU agreement means that the vehicles will get a higher speed limit, from the current 30 kilometers per hour to 45.
The National Traffic Safety Association (NTF) understands why the higher speed is relevant. The risk of other road users becoming frustrated and overtaking the slow vehicles in dangerous ways can be assumed to decrease with a higher speed.
But there are problems with the higher speed.
It can also imply increased risks. The higher the speed, the greater the crash force in an accident, says Cecilia Friis, operations developer at NTF Väst.
Speed is the most important thing to reduce accidents.
Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson (KD) points to the hopes of improved traffic flow with the new speeds after last night's decision.
Traffic safety will also be strengthened, not least because there will be better traffic flow and stricter requirements for driver's licenses and relevant driver training, he says.
Tuning a major problem
To keep speeds around the allowed limits, it is according to NTF important to make it harder to tune the vehicles. It is difficult to know in advance whether the higher speed limit will reduce the incentives to tune the vehicles.
We have a concern that it may not affect it that much anyway. More needs to be done, says Cecilia Friis.
With the new EU agreement, there will also be requirements for both practical and theoretical driving tests. Positive, thinks Friis:
It is important that the education and tests are conducted with the type of vehicle that the young person will use. Today, the same education applies to mopeds as for A-tractors.
It means something completely different to drive a two-wheeled moped than an A-tractor.
In the future, the education will take place on the same vehicle as the young person will use, according to Andreas Carlson.
Wanted a 16-year-old limit
Susanne Wallhagen, researcher at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), agrees that the education requirements are welcome, even if it is still uncertain exactly how they will be implemented in practice.
But then we have some hesitation about politicians not wanting to raise the age limit, she says.
Every year is important in the young years, a 16-year-old should be wiser (than a 15-year-old) when they are out driving.
