It will be more difficult for drivers in the European Union who have committed serious traffic offenses in another EU country to escape a driving ban. The new rules approved on Tuesday aim to ensure that disqualifications are recognized in all 27 member states.
The European Parliament on Tuesday gave the final green light to new rules on issuance of driving licenses and on the recognition of driving disqualifications across the EU.
Under current rules, a driving license can only be withdrawn if the offense has been committed in the Member State who issued it. The lack of enforcement at EU level also means that around 40% of offenses committed in other EU countries remain unpunished.
With the new measures, the withdrawal, suspension or restriction of the driving license will be transmitted to the EU country that issued the licenseto guarantee the application of the penalty.
National authorities will have to inform each other on decisions prohibiting driving to most serious traffic violationssuch as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, causing fatal accidents, or excessive speed (driving 50 km/h faster than the limit).
When the Member State where the offense took place imposes a driving disqualification for at least three months and the driver has exhausted all remedies, authorities will have to notify the country who issued the license to enforce its suspension or restriction.
“By introducing clearer and more timely criteria for suspending driving privileges in cases of serious violations, helps protect not only responsible drivers but the whole community. A stronger and more effective monitoring and enforcement system will help prevent accidents and save lives”, said Italian deputy Matteo Ricciresponsible for the topic, cited by .
The rules are part of a package to improve road safetyas road accidents in the EU claimed almost 20,000 lives last year. This compares with around 51,000 road deaths in 2001, but the EU is aiming for zero fatalities by 2050.
According to the most recent data from the European Commission, Sweden and Denmark are the safest countries to drive in (20 and 24 deaths per million inhabitants per year), while Romania and Bulgaria (78 and 74 deaths per million inhabitants per year) have the highest fatality rates.
Digital card, age reduction
The changes include the creation of a digital letter accessible via mobile phone and the reduction of the minimum age for obtaining a heavy vehicle license, which allows 17 year olds drive alongside an experienced driver.
In the plenary session, in the French city of Strasbourg, MEPs supported the review of the rules for driving licenses, with new provisions relating to newly licensed drivers, the digital driving license and driving disqualification.
With the new rules, 17-year-olds will be able to obtain a light car driving license (category B), but they will have to drive accompanied by an experienced driver until they reach 18 years of age.
It is also foreseen, for the first time, a probationary period minimum of two years for newly licensed drivers with stricter rules and sanctions regarding driving under the influence of alcohol and not using seat belts or child restraint systems.
To alleviate the shortage of professional drivers, the new rules allow people aged 18 obtain the license truck driving license (category C) and at the age of 21 a bus driving license (category D), as long as they hold a professional aptitude certificate. If they are not, you will need to be 21 and 24 years old, respectively, to drive these vehicles.
As for training, the exam for granting a driving license will now include knowledge about blind spot risksdriver assistance systems, safe opening of doors and the risks of distraction when using the telephone.
Regarding validity, driving licenses will now be available for 15 years for motorcycles and cars, with the possibility for Member States to reduce this period to 10 years if the driving license is used as a national identification document.
Driving licenses for trucks and buses will be valid for five years.
It is expected that EU countries will be able to reduce the validity period for drivers aged 65 or over in order to subject holders to a greater frequency of medical examinations or refresher courses.
To obtain the first driving license or when applying for renewal, the driver must be passed a medical examinationwhich includes vision and cardiovascular health tests.
The new rules will come into force on the 20th day after their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, with Member States have three years to transpose the directive into national law and another year to prepare its implementation.
