Will drivers have to have their health checked regularly in the future? The EU Parliament is addressing this question and is agreeing its negotiating position on a reform of the EU driving license rules. The examinations in question are intended to check whether you are still physically fit to get behind the wheel.
German MPs are critical of such regular investigations, but they already exist in other countries. The map below shows an overview.
In the negotiations, the EU states will work to ensure that there will be no such mandatory tests. They had already decided on their negotiating position last year. Once Parliament has decided on its position, negotiations on a final compromise can begin.
The revision of the rules is based on a proposal from the EU Commission that was presented in March. The proposals have sparked a debate about whether older people pose a risk on the roads. The investigations are only part of the project. Among other things, it is also about whether accompanied driving from the age of 17 should be possible across the EU in the future.
The new requirements are intended to make road traffic safer and fewer people die in accidents. According to EU figures, more than 20,000 people die on the roads in the European Union every year. The number of traffic deaths should actually be halved by 2030. However, the development does not currently look like this: after a significant decline during the corona pandemic, the number of deaths recently rose again.
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