In order to renew their licences, in the future elderly drivers in the EU will have to self-assess their health, i.e. decide for themselves whether it allows them to drive a car. Here’s what else they want in the EU:
In order to renew their driving licence, older drivers will in future have to self-assess their abilities and fitness, EU transport ministers decided today.
German Minister Volker Vissing had announced that he would vote against this decision because it led to unnecessary bureaucracy. But even without his vote, a majority was gathered. Before the changes come into effect, they must be voted on by the European Parliament.
What else did EU ministers decide?
In March, the European Commission proposed that drivers over the age of 70 should either undergo a medical examination or self-assess their fitness every five years.
Member countries have now decided that driving licenses will be renewed every 15 years. Older drivers will generally not be subject to any stricter rules than younger drivers. But the EU member states themselves will be able to decide whether to introduce such.
EU ministers have also decided to make accompanied driving for over 17s a Community-wide standard. As well as the introduction of a digital driver’s license.
Pensioners and accidents
In Germany, an argument in the debate about stricter conditions for older drivers is often traffic accident statistics. When an accident involving injuries or fatalities occurs, older drivers are often the main culprits in traffic accidents (traffic accidents), according to data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics. In 2022, in road accidents in which one participant was at least 65 years old, the main culprits in more than two-thirds (69%) of the cases were older drivers. And in accidents involving drivers over the age of 75, in most cases they were the cause of the accident (77%).
Among drivers under the age of 65, the age group between 18 and 20 is particularly dangerous – if there were accidents with their participation, in 71% of cases they were the main culprits.
What are the most common offenses for older drivers
It is noteworthy that the causes of accidents vary depending on the age of the drivers. The elderly are more likely to be charged with failure to obey the right-of-way rule. Errors in turning, reversing and starting are also more common among them than among younger drivers.
At the same time, older people were much less likely to be accused of failing to maintain a safe distance, driving at an inappropriate speed and driving under the influence of alcohol.
As a proportion of the population, however, the likelihood of older drivers being involved in traffic accidents is lower than that of younger drivers, notes ARD. “This is due to the fact that older people are less likely than young people to participate in road traffic. One of the reasons is that they no longer drive to work.”
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2023-12-04 17:31:00
#decide #driving #licenses
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