A 17-year-old child will be allowed behind the wheels of the car, if accompanied by a more experienced driver, under the rules change just agreed by the European Parliament and Council. You can also obtain a license to drive a truck under certain conditions.
New drivers also face two years of probation and have stricter rules and penalties for driving while drunk. Driving license tests will check the perception of risks to pedestrians, cyclists and scooters, but are all these precautions sufficient?
“Yes, I agree. It may be similar to the US, where you have a license to practice with a manager with a driver’s license,” said a resident of Lisbon, Portugal. “There’s no two directors because there’s only one person driving. The person next to him can’t do anything,” the Athenian said.
The directive also aims to harmonize the medical screening process for both first-time licenses or renewing them, a topic at the heart of difficult negotiations.
“Some countries may continue to carry out mandatory health checks, while others may request to fill their self-assessment. There are no new EU-wide rules, but the directive is encouraged to be consistent when it comes to health assessments.”
Digital wallet license
This review also aims to expand the use of digital driver licenses. These already exist in Denmark, Spain and Germany, but by 2028, a uniform model should be available across the EU.
However, drivers are still entitled to a physical driver’s license for use in non-EU countries where digital systems are not used.
When asked about the risk of cybersecurity failure, German Green MEP Jutta Paulus said, “This is a test case for an EU digital wallet. There is nothing you can go to that wallet at the moment.”
Paulus led negotiations on the revision of driver’s licenses in the European Parliament, adding that EU digital wallets “have many provisions regarding cybersecurity, forgery, fraud and theft of digital data.”
Road safety is a common responsibility between EU institutions and member states, although it is the region in which Brussels plays a greater role. The EU has set up the so-called Vision Zero Target to reduce deaths by 50% by 2030 and zero road deaths by 2050.
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Journalist: Isabel Marquez da Silva
Content Production: Pilar Montero López
Video production: Zacharia Vigneron
Graphism: Loredana Dumitru
Editorial Adjustments:
