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Comment by Tempest1981 | Hacker News Reader

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Tempest1981·

> features 16 to 17-year-olds driving old cars ... converted to only run at 30 kph

I had to search to see what you were referring to:

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230320-sweden-s-teen...

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As I understand it some of the cars are newer cars electrically modified (usually the previous family car, often a station wagon). Those are mostly wasteful by driving at slow speed with only two seats and no storage (which are also rules to be able to convert them). These can be converted back to a normal car when the driver turns 18 and gets a proper driver's license. But it is also possible to disable the electronic limits. Other cars are pemanantly converted much older cars and sold as such. These are the ones that are also bad cars without the regulation affecting a normal car.

Edit: Someone infamously converted and registered a heavy truck this way. Legal to drive as a 15-year-old with a moped license.

https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/eddie-15-har-en-lastbil-som...

Any chance the law will be changed before things get further out of hand?

Seems like the original target was mopeds? But somehow cars and trucks were included?

There are constant debates about them in Sweden. Especially after fatal accidents or incidents involving teens driving at speeds above 100 kph. [1][2]

The original law considered tractors and other farm equipment, AIUI. You can drive these so called A-traktor with only a moped or tractor license when you're 15.

[1] Swedish article from 2022 with some examples (there are many more since then): https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/ungdomar-manipulerar-a-tr...

[2] Example police chase: https://youtube.com/watch?v=CqcEqhXWiYE

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