We've had them in France for a long time now - called "Voitures sans permis" as you can drive one without a licence - so they are popular with drunkards who've had their licences taken away. IMHO they are an absolute menace as they cannot keep up with the normal flow of traffic (and should more correctly be called mobile chicanes) and as the person at the wheel is often a drunk, it's best to give them a very wide berth and to make no assumptions about the driver's intentions.
I can't see that it is safe or desirable to put inexperienced drivers in such cars - in particular because they don't have to meet the same standards of crash protection as real cars.
I didn't know about these cars being in France....l and how odd that you could drive them drunk! In the UK I'm pretty sure you can be charged for being drunk in charge of a boat, a bicycle and horse (none of which require a permit).
You make very good points.
