Moped car gives rural Estonian teen freedom to drive years early
At 15, Türi student Roosi Põllu is already driving herself to school in a moped car, boosting her independence well before Estonia's standard driving age of 18.
Põllu, an 8th grader at Türi Basic School, has been driving a moped car independently for nearly a year, using it to commute between Türi and Paide and get to school and extracurricular activities on her own.
"For me, it's just very convenient because we live in the countryside," she said, adding that the chance to drive already has given her a lot more freedom. "Otherwise I'd always have to get rides to and from school and extracurriculars from my parents."
Reelika Rüütel, a regional manager at driving school company OÜ Autosõit, said moped cars have become increasingly popular among young drivers.
Under Estonian law, a moped car is a light four-wheeled motor vehicle with a top speed of 45 km/h.
AM category driver's licenses were likewise phased in for moped cars over the past decade and a half, with a minimum age of 14 and driver's ed requirements that include both classroom theory and practical training behind the wheel.
Rüütel said students typically complete 25 hours of theory and 12 hours of driving lessons before taking their tests.
"That's significantly fewer driving lessons than for B category licenses, but in our experience they still pick it up very well," she noted.
The driving school manager said moped cars are more stable than two-wheeled mopeds, though less protective than regular passenger cars because they are built on lightweight aluminum frames with plastic body panels.
"But they still have seatbelts and airbags," she confirmed.
Sharing the road
Rüütel also noted that young drivers have to adapt quickly to sharing the road with far more experienced motorists.
"Traffic isn't very forgiving of mistakes," she said. "But this is a very good way for teens to get around independently."
Põllu said she feels safe behind the wheel but understands her slow speed can frustrate other drivers on the road.
"I know I get in their way and drive more slowly," she said. "There's not much I can do [about the speed limit], so I try to keep as far to the side of the road as possible and let them pass."
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Editor: Neit-Eerik Nestor, Aili Vahtla
