Skip to main content

Oops! Teen driver loses license just 49 minutes after passing his test

Blazej Lyjak/Shutterstock

Remember the unbridled excitement of passing your driving test and heading out onto the road for the very first time as a fully qualified driver?

Now imagine getting pulled over by cops within the first hour and losing your license for speeding.

That’s exactly what happened to an 18-year-old German guy recently after he was clocked going 95 kph (59 mph) in a 50 kph (31 mph) zone.

The teen was pulled over near his home in the town of Hemer in north-west Germany after cops detected his speed using a laser speed gun. According to reports, the unnamed man had four buddies in the car with him at the time, with police suggesting he may have been trying to impress them with his new-found freedom, which lasted only 49 minutes.

It seems the loss of his license in such a short space of time could be a record in the world of motoring. But not one you’d necessarily want to have.

“Some things last for ever, others not for an hour,” local police quipped in their statement about the incident.

So, what’s next for the young driver? Well, he’s received an immediate driving ban of four months, though the authorities insist he’ll have to undergo “expensive retraining” before he has any chance of getting his license back. He has to pay a fine of 200 euros (about $228), too, while his probationary period as a new driver has been automatically increased to four years from two.

According to German media outlet Deutsche Welle, the authorities are pretty hot on enforcing speed laws in urban areas, with those who break the rules usually hit with fines of between 10 euros (about $11) and a more substantial 680 euros (about $775). Depending on the seriousness of the offense, driving bans of up to three months can also be imposed.

News of the speeding teen comes in the same week that a village in northern Italy clocked more than 58,000 motorists breaking the speed limit along its main road within just 10 days of activating a speed camera there. Data from the camera revealed that half of the vehicles passing through the village were breaking the 50 kph (31 mph) limit, with the fastest driver caught doing 135 kph (84 mph).

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Alpine sale: Up to $160 off speakers and subs for your car
alpine speaker sale crutchfield march 2024 car and amp setup on table

If you’re looking to kit your car out with some superior speakers or a subwoofer, Crutchfield is the place to go today. Right now, there’s a huge sale on Alpine subwoofers and speakers with nearly 50 different items forming the sale. As there are so many options, the best idea is to hit the button below to see what’s around. If you don’t know where to start though, read on while we take you through some great items in the sale.

What to shop for in the Alpine sale
Buying the best aftermarket car speakers are important for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road and is currently dealing with a mediocre sound system. One good starting point in the Alpine sale is the 2-way speakers for $104 instead of $130. You get two 2-way speakers with a polypropylene/glass fiber/mica woofer with a specialized rubber surround. There’s a one-inch silk dome tweeter with speakers able to handle up to 80 watts RMS with 240 watts peak power. The grilles aren’t included but the factor ones should be fine for most purposes.

Read more
Mercedes to trial humanoid robots for ‘low-skill, repetitive, demanding’ jobs
Apptronik's Apollo robot at work in an auto plant.

Humanoid robots have been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years, and some major companies are starting to take note.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has just entered into an agreement with Texas-based robotics specialist Apptronik to collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robots that the auto giant could deploy. The deal will involve a trial that will see Apptronik's Apollo humanoid robot work alongside Mercedes' human workers on the factory floor.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9: price, release date, range, and more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Front

Hyundai has been at the forefront of EV development for a while now, largely thanks to the success of the crossover-sized Hyundai Ioniq 5. But the company is readying another new EV that could be even more popular than the Ioniq 5 -- or at least more desirable in the U.S., the land of big cars.

The upcoming Ioniq 9, previously set to be called the Ioniq 7, will be Hyundai's take on an electric SUV. It will be to Hyundai what the Kia EV9 is to Kia. It will have three rows and carry over design elements from the Ioniq 5.

Read more