EU tightens rules on driving licenses to reduce road fatalities
Kyiv • UNN
The European Union has adopted new rules on driving licenses, including digital licenses and cross-border penalties. This is part of a plan to reduce road fatalities, which reached almost 20,000 last year, by 2050.
Last year, the number of road deaths in the European Union reached almost 20,000, and the EU intends to significantly reduce this number by 2050. As part of the next step to reduce road fatalities, European lawmakers this week adopted new rules for driving licenses across the EU, including the introduction of digital licenses and cross-border fines, UNN reports with reference to DPA.
Details
The reform is necessary because the world has changed. We must reduce the number of road deaths from 20,000 per year, and this reform is part of that package.
This reform is part of the Road Safety Package, through which the EU is pursuing its "Vision Zero" goal – zero fatalities and serious injuries on the roads by 2050.
According to the target set in 2018, the number of road fatalities should be halved by 2030 compared to 2019, but the EU is still far from achieving this goal.
The latest data from the European Commission shows that 19,940 people died in road accidents in 2024, which is 2% less compared to 2023 and 12% less than in 2019.
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Tieman also wants to introduce mandatory helmet use for children under 18 riding electric bicycles, citing the growing number of young people admitted to emergency rooms with brain injuries after accidents.
What's new for EU drivers
The new rules approved by EU lawmakers introduce stricter conditions for obtaining and renewing driving licenses, promote the exchange of information on serious traffic offenders between member states, and encourage the use of digital permits.
The most radical change is that serious traffic violations, such as drunk driving or excessive speeding, could lead to a ban on driving across the EU. Currently, penalties are generally limited to the country where the offense was committed.
Currently, almost 40% of drivers whose licenses have been revoked or suspended in a country other than where they were issued remain unpunished, Italian EU lawmaker Matteo Ricci told his colleagues.
However, EU lawmaker Markus Ferber from Germany clarified that cross-border driving license revocations would not apply to tourists who received a minor fine due to ignorance of local rules.
Contrary to previous discussions, there will be no mandatory medical examinations for people over a certain age. EU member states can decide for themselves whether a medical certificate or a self-assessment form is required for car and motorcycle driving licenses.
Each member state decides whether elderly drivers should undergo additional tests. We have provided member states with full flexibility in assessing their fitness to drive, to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy for citizens and healthcare systems.
The law also aims to address the shortage of skilled workers in the transport sector. The minimum age for obtaining a truck driving license will be reduced from 21 to 18, and the minimum age for bus drivers from 24 to 21.
The new rules also set a maximum validity period of 15 years for car and motorcycle driving licenses, which can be reduced to 10 years in states where the driving license serves as an identity document.
What changes for future drivers
Those seeking to obtain a driving license will also face some changes. During exams, more attention will be paid to topics such as distraction caused by mobile phone use, blind spots, and driver assistance systems. Courses will also place more emphasis on interacting with pedestrians, children, and cyclists.
Accompanied driving – allowing young drivers to get behind the wheel at an early age provided they are accompanied by an experienced adult – will be expanded across the bloc.
Young drivers will also be given a two-year probationary period, during which they will be subject to stricter rules and penalties than experienced drivers.
The reform also aims to accelerate the bloc's attempts to make digital driving licenses the primary format, although EU citizens will still be able to request a physical document.
In Germany, the Technical Inspection Association (TÜV) warned that "much work still needs to be done" to digitize driving licenses. The main obstacle is the different software systems used by government agencies. However, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Transport said it aims to make national digital licenses available by the end of 2026.
The new rules will enter into force on the 20th day after their publication in the Official Journal of the EU. Member states will have three years to incorporate them into their legislation and another year to implement them in practice.
The content of this article is based on reports by AFP, ANP, BTA CTK, dpa, EFE, Lusa, PAP, STA, Tanjug and TT as part of the European Newsroom (enr) project.
Addition
The European Commission initiated a review of EU road safety rules, which should help save thousands of lives by 2050. Technical inspection of electric vehicles and emissions testing are also proposed.