As a former italian 14-years-old, I can say that I did not perceive any inherent sense of danger driving a moped. If anything, I would say that a minicar would have prevented me from constantly zig-zaging between cars in the city traffic.

OTOH, a couple of moped accidents have quickly taught me to pay a lot of attention to other vehicles and to somehow anticipate their behavior. It's a risky but effective school.

As a parent of a current 14yo, I notice that her and her friends show almost no interest in mopeds or any form of autonomous transportation, while for us it was a must have - either you parents gave you one, or you kept relentlessly for fighting for it. I don't know what to make of it.