Young drivers could be banned from powerful cars

Mini Cooper S - Wikipedia (c) Vauxford

Young drivers could have the type of cars they drive after passing the test limited.

A proposal from the Socialist Party would see newly qualified drivers unable to drive cars with more than 200 horsepower. 

Supporters say the limit will protect new drivers and other road users.

But the government is not convinced and is urging parliament to vote the idea down. The Federal Council says the move would only have a negligible effect. 

There are many detractors in parliament – the Greens say they would prefer a general cut in powerful cars and another idea is to cut the speed limit for new drivers to 100 kph.

Even so, many cars are under 200 horsepower anyway. For example, the Mini Cooper ‘S’ 2 litre turbo, is 189 horsepower - and has a top speed of 234. 

More from Bitesize News

  • Geneva could foot the G7 bill

    Geneva fears it will be left with the security bill from a G7 summit just across the border in Évian, according to 24 heures.

  • US NGO discovers Swiss child abuse cases

    Switzerland relies too heavily on an American NGO to detect child sexual abuse online, raising questions about the country's ability to protect children on its own.

  • French singer banned by Paleo

    The Paléo Festival in Nyon says it will no longer invite French singer Patrick Bruel, after a former volunteer accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

  • Cars going uninspected

    The cantons are struggling to keep up with mandatory vehicle inspections, leaving more than 550,000 checks overdue nationwide.

  • War may lead to rent rises

    Rents may rise again, says the bank Raiffeisen.

  • Not a heatwave, yet

    Summer has arrived, with temperatures climbing past 30 over the long weekend. Basel reached 31 and Sion hit 32.4, but MeteoSwiss, says this does not yet count as an official heatwave.

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play