Voiturettes sans permis safety concerns in France, Digi Mart USA News (Villaroux, Savoie, France): On Monday, November 2, a 14-year-old girl was placed under formal investigation for road homicide after a 78-year-old cyclist was struck and killed while she was driving an unlicensed microcar in Savoie.
The cyclist was riding on the D29 road in Villaroux, near Chambéry, when he was hit by the car. The 14-year-old driver and her three passengers fled the scene before emergency services arrived.
The teenager was arrested on Friday, October 30.
The case has renewed debate over the safety of these vehicles, of which nearly 300,000 are reportedly in circulation in France. According to the national road safety website, people born before January 1, 1988 may drive them without a driving licence.
Those born on or after that date must hold an AM licence, which is available from age 14. It requires a theoretical course validated by a school road safety certificate (ASSR) or road safety certificate (ASR), plus eight hours of practical training specific to light motor quadricycles.
Limited to a maximum speed of 45 km/h, these vehicles may not use motorways or expressways. Violations can result in a fine of up to €1,500 and seizure of the vehicle.
The road safety authority notes that driving a microcar is not without risk.
In 2022, 473 accidents involved a microcar and 30 people died, twice the number recorded in 2021. Three-quarters of accidents occur in towns, but fatal cases occur more often outside urban areas.
In 2024, 445 accidents involved an unlicensed car and 37 people died.
Drivers and passengers of these vehicles are often the ones injured. Although considered less dangerous than conventional scooters, they are vulnerable in collisions with traditional cars or other obstacles.
On October 6 in Hérault, an 80-year-old driver of an unlicensed car struck another vehicle in Agde. He was found in cardiac arrest, was resuscitated by emergency services and airlifted to the hospital in Montpellier, where his life was reported to be at risk, according to Ouest-France.
On September 30, a 14-year-old driving a microcar was struck by another motorist on a departmental road in Hières-sur-Amby (Isère), according to Le Dauphiné Libéré. The boy was seriously injured and taken to Édouard-Herriot Hospital in Lyon (Rhône) in critical condition.
