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At the beginning of the year, discussions were still ongoing about whether and to what extent the directive would be updated. Topics that were considered questionable or difficult were discussed. Now, however, the European Parliament has finally decided what the directive will entail. Approval from the EU Council of Ministers was given two months ago, and the European Parliament has now fulfilled the final requirement for the legal act. This means that changes can soon be expected in the Member States, provided that the legal act has entered into force.

Truck drivers

Truck drivers are a major focus of the directive. There are a number of changes, particularly aimed at counteracting the shortage of skilled workers. Firstly, the minimum age for driving trucks in all EU member states will be lowered from 21 to 18. The only requirement is to present a Certificate of Professional Competence. While the option of allowing 18-year-olds to drive has existed for some time, it is now becoming mandatory. This measure is supplemented by accompanied driving, provided that a professional driver aged at least 24 is on board and the countries through which the journey passes permit accompanied driving. These regulations are intended to facilitate career entry into this field.

The digitisation of driving licences

In addition, the digitisation of driving licences is to be implemented by 2030. However, there is no obligation to switch, and drivers can continue to use the traditional model. The only change to the period of validity applies to passenger cars and motorcycles. In this case, it is extended to 15 years, unless the driving licence also serves as an identity card. In this case, the period of validity may be limited to 10 years, but this is not mandatory. The situation is similar for people over 65. In this case, a reduction in the period of validity may be permitted, but this will not be mandatory. Health checks remain mandatory, but Member States have considerable leeway in their implementation and may allow prospective drivers to self-assess.
Additionally, the maximum permissible weight for a Class B driving licence has increased from 3.5 to 4.25 tonnes, which could benefit many drivers and holidaymakers.

Driving bans in other EU countries

A major issue was how driving bans in other EU countries would be enforced. Penalties are also enforced across borders. This means that Member States must inform each other if a serious traffic offence has been committed in the relevant country, resulting in a driving ban. This is necessary because only the country that issued the driving licence can impose an EU-wide driving ban. Therefore, it will be particularly important in future to familiarise yourself with the traffic regulations that apply in a country before travelling there, in order to avoid breaking them. Some countries already have a 0.0 per mille limit for driving, unlike Germany, where the limit is 0.5 per mille.

 

One final addition

The German Traffic Safety Association (DVW) is currently calling for the simplified regulations introduced in 2020 for obtaining a driver's license for 125 cc motorcycles to be abolished again (Kleiner Motorradführerschein für Autofahrende führt zu mehr Unfällen – Deutsche Verkehrswacht). The DVW justifies this with the high number of accidents, which may be due to insufficient training. Nine lessons, divided between theory and practice, may not be enough to impart the knowledge that a motorcyclist needs to participate safely in road traffic.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)