Mohammad Said Al Zaffin, chairman of the Federal Traffic Council (FTC) has announced that 16 year olds in the country are now eligible to apply for a driver's license.
"Youths at the age of 16 years more mature now than 10 years ago, and can drive a vehicle in an appropriate manner, and there is no justification for not granting them the license," he said, according to Emirates 24|7 .
Zaffin stressed that the majority of traffic accidents in the UAE involved people between the ages of 24 and 35, although a report released last week revealed that 21 to 29 year olds cause 37 percent of traffic accidents.
The FTC has discussed the possibility of having stricter rules for granting licenses.
The minimum age requirement for a motorcycle drivers license in the UAE is 17 years.