Overview
- The European Parliament approved the overhaul this week, capping car and motorcycle licence validity at 15 years, with an option for 10 years where licences double as ID, while heavy-vehicle licences remain at five years.
- Fitness to drive must be verified at issue and renewal through either medical exams or nationally designed self-assessments, and countries may require more frequent checks for older drivers, a measure some legal experts criticize as costly.
- Withdrawals, suspensions or restrictions decided in one EU country will be enforced across the bloc through strengthened information-sharing.
- A smartphone-based digital licence is slated to become the standard format, with a physical card still available on request.
- New rules introduce a two-year probation for novice drivers and allow accompanied driving from 17, renewals will not require retaking the driving test, and governments have three years to transpose the directive.