A government plan to ban young Italian drivers from getting behind the wheel of high-performance cars drew a mixture of scorn and applause on Tuesday.
Transport Minister Alessandro Bianchi has revealed that, in the interests of reducing road accidents, he intends to make it harder to pass Italian driving tests and to introduce a double test for young people.
Passing the first test would permit youngsters to drive cars with engines up to a certain horse power. Three years later they could take a second test which would give them the right to drive all cars, including powerful sportscars.
The precise threshold separating the two categories of car have still to be decided, along with other details. But the idea has already stirred up controversy.
"It seem ridiculous to me. This has nothing to do with road safety, for which other measures are needed," said Paolo Landi, head of consumer rights association Adiconsum.
He also said the only people to benefit from a double exam would be driving schools, which would find themselves with a lucrative new area of business.
Rosario Trefiletti, president of consumer group Federconsumatori, said he was in favour of keeping impetuous youngsters away from Porsches and Ferraris, maybe borrowed from their parents.
But he said it was more important to do something about the numerous 'micro-cars' on Italian roads. Because they can legally be driven without a full licence, the cars are very popular with adolescents.
Many critics of Bianchi's plan said it was a mistake to target big, powerful autos when smaller ones could also go very fast but had the disadvantage of being light and less stable.
'DON'T NEED FERRARI TO DIE'.
Nicolas Vaporidis, a 25-year-old actor who has become a cult figure among young Italians, described the supercar ban as "stupid".
"You don't need a Ferrari to get hurt. You can kill yourself at 120 km/h with a small car," he told Corriere della Sera.
But the idea won the support of former Transport Minister Paolo Costa, who is now a provincial government chief for the opposition Forza Italia party. He said it was part of a general move "in the right direction".
According to official statistics, 875 Italians aged between 21 and 29 were killed on Italian roads in 2005.
Authorities are waging a constant campaign against the 'Saturday Night Massacre' which sees hundreds of young people involved in late-night accidents at the weekend, usually after a night out.
There was general applause for Bianchi's plan to make driving tests more difficult to pass, even from some young people.
"We young people are more irresponsible, we like showing off and we underestimate dangers," admitted Sara Tommasi, 25, a model who recently shot to fame on a desert island reality TV show.
