You cannot drive: at what age are drivers prohibited from driving a car.

There is a variety of approaches to age restrictions for drivers worldwide

There is significant diversity in approaches to age restrictions for drivers around the world. 'Khvylya' has investigated when one can get behind the wheel and what age is allowed to drive a car in different countries.

United States of America

In the US, the minimum age for obtaining a driver's license varies from state to state. In some states, you can start learning to drive at 14, but full rights are issued from ages 16 to 18. There is no upper age limit for driving in the US.

Khvylya

Europe

The European Union has stricter rules. In France and Germany, the minimum age for obtaining a license is 18, although there are supervised driving programs starting at 16-17 years. In the UK, you can obtain a license at 17.

Khvylya

Asia

Japan stands out with its particularly strict approach towards elderly drivers. Since 2017, drivers over 75 years old must undergo mandatory medical examinations every two years. If signs of dementia are found, their driver's license can be revoked.

Khvylya

New Zealand

New Zealand demonstrates an interesting approach, where you can obtain a learner's license at 16 years, but a multi-stage system is in place: from a learner's license to a restricted one, and then to a full license, with each stage having its own limits and requirements.

Khvylya

Ukraine

In Ukraine, the following age restrictions for drivers apply:

• Category 'B' (passenger cars) - 18 years.
• Category A1 (light motorcycles up to 125 cc) - from 16 years
• Category A (motorcycles) - from 18 years
• Categories C1, C (trucks) - from 18 years
• Categories D1, D (buses) - from 21 years
• Categories BE, C1E, CE (tractor-trailer combinations) - from 19 years
• Categories D1E, DE - from 21 years

There is no upper age limit for driving in Ukraine, but a system of medical examinations based on age is in place:

• Up to 55 years - every 10 years
• From 55 to 75 years - every 3 years
• After 75 years - every 2 years

Medical certificates are required when obtaining and renewing a driver's license. If medical contraindications are found, the license can be restricted or revoked regardless of the driver's age.

Khvylya

According to road safety experts, there is a trend towards stricter requirements for elderly drivers in many developed countries, although approaches to young drivers remain varied, reflecting the cultural and social characteristics of different societies.

Earlier, we warned Ukrainian drivers that even minor offenses in Poland can lead to serious financial penalties.