The Commission today presented proposals to modernise driving licence rules, including the introduction of a digital driving licence valid throughout the EU, and new provisions to facilitate the enforcement of traffic rules across borders. More than听20,000 lives were lost on EU roads last year听and the听majority of victims were pedestrians, cyclists and users of scooters and motorbikes.
The new rules will improve safety for all road users, 听and will help the EU achieve its Vision Zero 鈥� having no deaths on EU roads by 2050.They will prepare drivers better for zero-emission vehicles and for driving on city roads, alongside more bicycles and two-wheelers, and with many pedestrians around. They will also allow young drivers to gain experience through an accompanied听driving scheme – from the age of 17, 听听young people will be able to learn to drive听and obtain a licence. Those who pass at 17 will be able to drive alone from their 18th听birthday, and to work as a听professional driver as soon as a specific job allows. This will help address the current driver shortage.
Modernised driving licence rules to make roads safer and simplify everyday life
The proposal on driving licences amends existing EU law and is inspired by best practices already in force in several Member States.
A key objective of the new rules will be improving听road safety,听with measures including:
- 础听probation period of at least two years听for novice drivers after passing the test, and a听zero-tolerance rule on drink-driving. This is essential as even if young drivers only represent 8% of all car drivers, 2 out of 5 fatal collisions involve a driver or rider aged under 30.
- 础濒濒辞飞颈苍驳听young people to听take their test and commence accompanied driving of cars and lorries from the age of 17, to gain driving experience.
- Adapting driver training and testing to听better prepare drivers听for the presence of vulnerable users on the road.听This will help improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, as well as users of听e-scooters听and e-bikes as the EU transitions to more sustainable urban mobility.
- 础听more targeted assessment of medical fitness,听taking into account advances in medical treatment for diseases such as diabetes. Drivers will also be encouraged to update their driving skills and knowledge to keep up with technological developments.
To simplify the recognition of driving licences between Member States, the Commission proposes the introduction of a听digital driving licence,听in a world first.听It will be much easier to听replace, renew or exchange a driving licence听since all procedures will be听online.听In the same vein, it will听also be easier for citizens听from non-EU countries听with comparable road safety standards, to exchange their driving licence for an EU one.
Updated testing rules will take into account the听transition to听zero-emission vehicles. They will, for example, assess the knowledge and skills linked to advanced driving assistance systems and other automated technologies.听Novice drivers will also be taught how their driving style has an impact on their emissions 鈥� the timing of gear changes, for example. Finally, the permitted mass of a 鈥楤’ category vehicle will听be听adjusted for alternatively fuelled vehicles, since battery-carrying zero-emission vehicles can be heavier.
Effective cross-border enforcement of safety-related traffic rules听
Current EU rules on cross-border enforcement have helped to ensure that non-resident road offenders do not remain anonymous. Nonetheless, in 2019听some 40% of cross-border offences were committed with impunity,听either because the offender was not identified or because the payment was not enforced.
Today’s proposals seek to address this by allowing enforcement authorities to gain access to national driving licence registers. The Commission is also proposing to strengthen the role of established national contact points so they can better cooperate with the enforcement authorities involved in the investigation of offences. This will听address current听shortcomings in cooperation between Member States when investigating offences.
Furthermore, the current law covers some of the most frequent and egregious offences, such as speeding and drink-driving. The Commission proposes to expand the scope of traffic offences covered to:
- not keeping sufficient distance听from the vehicle in front;
- dangerous overtaking;
- dangerous parking;
- crossing one or more solid white lines;
- wrong-way driving;
- not respecting听rules on the use of听emergency corridors;
- the use of an听overloaded vehicle.
These additions will help reduce impunity for such offences and improve听Member States’ ability to penalise offenders from other Member States. It will also ensure听equal treatment听of resident and non-resident offenders.
The updated laws will ensure that the听听rights听of people accused of traffic offences are upheld. Non-residents retain the听right to an effective remedy and a fair trial, to the presumption of innocence, and to defence.听These rights will be better guaranteed by provisions ensuring听unified content and听delivery^of penalty notices, by ensuring recipients of such notices are able to verify their authenticity, and by making the sharing of information with presumed offenders a standard requirement.
A dedicated IT portal will give citizens听easy access to information on the road safety rules in place in each Member State听and, in time, allow them to听pay any fines directly.
The rules听will听also be aligned with the EU rules on personal data protection (听and听).
Driver disqualifications with EU-wide effect: an end to impunity for severe offences
To prevent impunity among road traffic offenders, a听new system听will be put in place,听allowing for an EU-wide driving disqualification听when a Member State decides to disqualify a driver because of an offence committed on its territory.
Holding road traffic offenders accountable in all Member States is essential for road safety. However, under current rules, when a serious offence results in a driving disqualification, it cannot be enforced EU-wide if the driver committed the offence in a Member State other than the one that issued his/her driving licence.
Today’s proposal covers听severe road traffic offences听such as excessive speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and causing death or serious bodily injury as a result of any traffic offence.听
Next steps听
The proposals will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council under the ordinary legislative procedure.
Background听
In its听, the Commission recommitted to its ambitious goal of having close to zero deaths and zero serious injuries on EU roads by 2050 (鈥榁ision Zero’) and to reducing deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030. Today’s proposals will help to achieve these goals, and were announced in the Commission’s 2020听.
The Commission published听听last week, showing fatalities remain below pre-pandemic levels, but progress remains to slow.
The Commission is implementing a Safe System Approach to driving in the EU. This Safe System requires safe driving, safer vehicles, safer infrastructure, lower speeds and better post-crash care.
ec.europa.eu
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