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EU driving license revision

The EU is working on adopting a new driving license directive in 2023,this is one of the biggest changes.

– That would increase the weight limit for drivers with class B licenses to 4.25 tons

– Lower the age limits on HGV and bus driving exams

Many in the transport industry are waiting for a lowering of the minimum age for obtaining licenses to drive trucks and buses to 18.

Some hope that such a move will help reduce the shortage of drivers.

The new directive would also change driver training :

1.It would allow learners to carry out theory training in one country and practical training in another one.

2.There is also a discussion about allowing starting practical training only after the theoretical examination has been successfully completed.

3.In future, some parts of the driving test could also be taken in simulators.

– Introduce a digital driving license

The EU body is also planning to introduce a digital driving license. The aim is for a corresponding smartphone app to be sufficient in the event of a police check or when renting a car. A QR code is also being considered to ease the difficulty of using plastic cards in the middle of the global chip shortage.

And in order to reduce the number of accidents, if the directive is adopted, a new requirement will be introduced:

-A mandatory refresher course taken one year after a license is acquired.

The Commission also plans to introduce pan-European recognition of driver’s license revocation. This would mean, for example, that if a driving ban is imposed in Italy, it will also apply in Germany.

If all goes well, when a driving license is revoked in one EU country, other countries will be able to recognize this and do the same in their own countries.

The European Commission plans to finalize this Directive on driver’s licenses this year.

It should be borne in mind that even if the 4th Directive on driving licenses is issued this year, countries will have to adapt their national legislation first, otherwise the rules cannot fully take effect.