BRUSSELS. The European Commission proposes new EU rules to increase road safety. The driver’s license is retired. The digital driving license valid throughout the Union arrives and it is expected that from the age of 17 it is possible to practice driving in accompanied cars and trucks: if the boys then pass the exam, then they will be able to drive alone from the age of 18. Driving license training and testing will take more into account the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, scooters and electric bikes. Data will be shared to make driving license suspensions effective throughout the EU. And, among other things, a tightening of some infractions such as dangerous overtaking, overcoming continuous lines, driving against traffic is foreseen.
The digital driving license will be held on the smartphone and will be renewed entirely online. It is proposed in a transport and road safety package presented today in Brussels. The digital document would then be accessible via a mobile phone or other device, and would be recognized across the EU. In this way, the administrative procedures and the replacement, renewal or exchange of the driving license would be simplified, given that it will be possible to carry out the entire procedure online (in Italy today to renew the license it is still necessary to go to the agency, or go to the Vehicle registration). The directive establishes the minimum requirements to allow interoperability between digital driving licenses across the EU. After an adaptation period, the digital driving license will be issued by default, but drivers will also be able to hold a physical driving license or both.
The main objective is the improvement of road safety: last year more than 20,000 people lost their lives in road accidents in the EU. The Commission proposal is based on four measures. The first introduces a probationary period of at least two years for novice drivers after passing the exam and a zero-tolerance rule on drunk driving. “It is essential because, even if young drivers represent only 8% of all motorists, 2 out of 5 fatal accidents involve a driver under the age of 30”, explains the Commission. The second measure allows young people to take the driving test and start driving in accompanied cars and trucks as early as the age of 17, “to gain driving experience”. Among the absolute novelties, zero tolerance against alcohol. It is a two-year period in which it is not possible to drink at all, so even if the country issuing the license has an acceptance of 0.2 or 0.3 (g/l) for young drivers applying for a driving license or I’m on a probation, zero alcohol.
The third measure is to adapt driver training and testing to better prepare them for the presence of vulnerable road users. “This will help improve the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and users of scooters, kick scooters and electric bikes as the EU moves towards more sustainable urban mobility,” the EU executive points out. The fourth measure is a more focused assessment of medical fitness, taking into account advances in the medical treatment of diseases such as diabetes. ‘Drivers will also be encouraged to update their driving skills and knowledge to keep up with technological developments,’ the Commission added.