Drivers at 70 can relax. The darkest scenario, which assumed automatic failure of allowances and mandatory investigation all 5 years, will not enter into force. European Parliament powerfully rejected the most controversial proposals of the European Commission, which aroused large emotions and fear of the social exclusion of millions of seniors. The final rules that will form the future of drivers across the Union are much more relaxed and give associate States large freedom.
Over the last 2 years seniors have lived in uncertainty, fearing that the 70-year-old would mean the start of a regular fight to keep a driving license. The imagination of forced tests, the negative consequence of which could mean the end of mobility, spent the sleep of the eye. Now it is known that there will be no revolution. Instead, the Union has put forward an evolutionary and flexible approach to align the drive to improve road safety with civilian rights and the realities of an ageing society. For Polish drivers, changes will be virtually insensitive.
A ruthless Commission proposal. What threatened the drivers?
The European Commission's first plans were extremist and sparked a wave of criticism across Europe. It was proposed that all drivers who were 70 years old should be forced to undergoing compulsory medical examinations all 5 years. Furthermore, the driving licence for this age group was to be issued for a period of not more than 5 years. However, the top controversy was the evidence of automatic failure of allowances in the event of a negative test result, without an effective appeal path.
These ideas met with immediate and mass opposition. elder organisations warned that specified government would lead to Social exclusion of millions of older Europeans. There were besides voices of opposition from politicians. Georges Gilkinet, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport of Belgium, stated: “If all of us were driving like our seniors, road safety statistic in Belgium would be much better.” Critics stressed that metric age is not a reliable performance indicator behind the wheel, and the individual differences in the aging process are huge.
The European Parliament said "NO". Why was the revolution denied?
Resistance to drastic changes resulted from deep concerns about social consequences. For millions of seniors, especially those surviving in agrarian areas and in areas with mediocre public transport, the car is the only means of transport guaranteeing independence. Losing a driving licence would mean them difficult access to medical care, inability to store or social isolation. In peculiarly hard circumstances, farmers would find driving crucial to the operation of the farm.
Human rights organisations have clearly pointed to the discriminatory nature of the proposal. Automatic withdrawal based on age was considered a violation of fundamental rights. Importantly, statistics did not confirm that older drivers pose a peculiar risk. Data from many countries show that they drive more carefully, little rapidly and avoid risky road situations. The top threat, according to statistics, is posed by young, inexperienced drivers aged 18-24. It all made parliamentarians decide to reject extremist ideas.
Compromise alternatively of revolution. What does the fresh government mean in practice?
The final solution developed by the European Parliament is simply a classical EU compromise. On the 1 hand, it introduces an work to measure the ability to drive before issuing or renewing a driving licence, but on the another hand gives associate States full freedom in the choice of the method of this assessment. Countries will be able to opt for 1 of 2 options.
The first option is self-assessment systemwhere the driver himself declares whether his wellness licence safe driving by completing a peculiar form. The second, more restrictive option is to introduce mandatory medical examinations. However, even in this case, the EU has defined only a minimum scope of control which must cover visual examination and cardiovascular evaluation. specified flexibility allows to take into account the specificity of the country - its demography, wellness care and infrastructure.
Polish drivers can sleep peacefully. Our strategy already meets the standards
For drivers in Poland, the fresh EU regulations mean no revolution. Our country has been utilizing a strategy of timely driving licences, valid for a maximum of 15 years, and the licensing procedure already includes medical examinations. The Ministry of Infrastructure has officially confirmed that Poland does not plan to introduce any fresh mandatory tests for drivers due to age. The current regulations are considered to be full sufficient.
It is worth noting that unlimited driving licences, which inactive hold many Poles, will be subject to mandatory exchange between 2028 and 2033, but this process will take place without the request for additional research. Polish solutions are already effective, as the statistic confirm. In 2019-2024 we succeeded Reduce road deaths by 35%which is 1 of the best results in the European Union. The changes will mainly affect those countries that have so far issued unlimited papers without any form of verification of driver health.
What about security? "Zizja Zero" and the function of technology
The relaxation of the rules for elder citizens does not mean that the European Union is giving up on the ambitious goal of the imagination Zero. This strategy assumes reduction of road fatalities to zero by 2050. Despite constant improvement, around 20,000 people are inactive killed on European roads all year. Resigning automatic bans for individual assessment is part of a broader doctrine that holds not only drivers but besides road designers and car manufacturers liable for safety.
You can't ignore the fact that with age, your reaction time or your sight is naturally deteriorating. Data from the Police office in 2024 indicate that drivers aged 60+ caused 3866 accidents. The key to improving security, however, is not discrimination, but discrimination. education, voluntary training courses and the function of household doctorswho may inform you of any contraindications to drive. In the long term, the most hope is technology – advanced driver support systems (ADAS) and yet autonomous vehicles that can completely destruct age constraints.
Read more:
The EU has decided on seniors. No more driving licenses after 70!
