Driving at 16: the quadricycles that can be driven before the age of 18

In Spain we look with envy at American films where 16-year-old kids get behind the wheel of their cars, bought with the money earned at the local burger joint. Many of these kids are lucky, and not all of those cars end up being killer machines possessed by demons or convertible space robots, and they can enjoy weekends going back and forth to school in their own car. And putting them to other uses too, but we won’t dwell on those.

What many people don’t know is that in Spain you can also drive from the age of 16. It is true that these are not “normal” cars, the ones you can drive from the age of 18 with a B1 licence and similar, but special vehicles that can be driven with the driving licence or, as it is now called, AM Driving Permit. This allows a person from the age of 16 to drive a microcar, that is, the so-called quadricycles.

These are small cars with a moped engine, with an engine capacity not exceeding 49 cc and a maximum speed of 45 km/h. These small vehicles fall into the same category as a moped, so they can be driven with this permit. That said, they come with a series of restrictions that must be taken into account to avoid surprises and fines for non-compliance.

One of the most important, and one to keep in mind to avoid trouble, is the ban on carrying passengers in this type of car until the age of 18 has been reached. In addition, these vehicles may travel on all roads, except motorways and expressways, where a speed far higher than these engines are capable of reaching is required.

Although it may not be the vehicle teenagers want, that is, powerful and appealing to their friends, it is a good solution for gaining practice and improving results in driving tests later on. Furthermore, these microcars pass all the safety tests carried out on more powerful cars, so they have a good level of safety. They also have seatbelts and may even have airbags. What do you think of the option?