Acuerdo sobre reglas modernas de licencia de conducción de la UE para mejorar la seguridad vial

The agreement on an update to the EU licensing Directive, addressed on Tuesday morning, aims to improve road safety in Europe, with nearly 20,000 lives lost on EU roads annually.

Training on using the phone and driving in dangerous conditions

Members of Parliament have managed to include new requirements so that drivers are better prepared for real management situations and develop sufficient awareness of risks for pedestrians, children, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users. To qualify for a license, a driver will need to learn about safe phone use while driving, risks for the visually impaired, driver assistance systems, safe opening, and driving in snow and slippery conditions.

Mobile driver

A digital driver’s license, available on a smartphone with digital wallet technology, will become the primary format in the EU, according to the new rules. Member States will have five years and six months after the new rules come into force to implement this. However, MEPs have ensured that drivers will still have the right to apply for a physical driver’s license.

Two-year probation for new drivers, alcohol limit

For the first time, EU rules will establish a probationary period of at least two years for new drivers. Novice drivers will be subject to stricter rules and penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without using seat belts or child restraint systems. MEPs have included an incentive in the text for EU countries to adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, prohibiting consumption by all drivers.

Lowering the age of eligibility for professional licenses, introducing accompanying drivers

To address the shortage of professional drivers, the minimum age at which a driver can obtain a truck license will be reduced from 21 to 18, and for a bus driver’s license from 24 to 21, provided the applicant has a professional competence certificate. EU countries may allow 17-year-olds to drive only a truck or utility vehicle in their territory, if accompanied by an experienced driver. This accompanying driver system will be more widely applied in the EU for car drivers.

Validity and health checks

Negotiators have agreed that driver’s licenses for motorcycles and cars should be valid for 15 years. EU countries may reduce this period to 10 years if the license can be used as national identification, while truck and bus licenses must be renewed every five years. EU countries may reduce the validity for older drivers (65 years or older).

Before being issued with the first license, a driver must pass a medical check, including vision and cardiovascular condition. However, for car drivers or motorcyclists, EU countries may opt to replace the medical check with self-assessment forms or, in the case of license renewal, other alternative measures. In the MEPs’ initiative, national authorities will be encouraged to raise public awareness of minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving.

Quote

EP Rapporteur Jutta Paulus (Greens, DE) said: «- The new directive on driver’s licenses makes people’s lives easier: more digital, more flexible, and with less bureaucracy. At the same time, we send a clear signal for greater road safety in line with the vision zero: fewer accidents, fewer injuries, and fewer victims on our roads. Additionally, we introduce uniform standards across Europe and make it easier for young people to enter the driving profession. We also strengthen our voluntary civil protection services and address the shortage of skilled workers in the transport sector. Finally, we ensure that no one’s right to drive is restricted due to long processing times.»

Next steps

The preliminary agreement still needs to be approved by the Council and Parliament. EU countries will have four years to transpose new provisions into national law and prepare for their implementation.

Background

The revised driver’s license rules in the EU are part of a road safety package presented by the Commission in March 2023, aimed at improving safety for all road users and moving as close as possible to zero in EU road transport by 2050 («Vision zero»). The same package also includes rules for disqualifying leadership working in parliament and council negotiators to reach an agreement.

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