Under-18 drivers must display new car identifier

Drivers under 18 must display a yellow-green identifier on the rear of their cars from Thursday, under a new rule intended to help police monitor compliance, Yle reports.

Drivers covered by the rule are barred from driving between midnight and 5 a.m. Breaking the night-time restriction can lead to a driving ban. During the day, failing to display the identifier can result in a 100-euro traffic penalty.

The identifier can be attached with a magnet or sticker and must be placed somewhere visible whenever a driver under 18 is at the wheel. The new mark is not yet widely recognised, and young people from Laihia told Yle they fear it could lead to teasing and bullying in traffic.

Yle reporter Tuomo Mäenpää also asked people in central Seinäjoki whether they recognised the identifier.