EU to allow 18-year-olds to drive lorries under certain conditions

Negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council have agreed new rules for driving licences in Brussels. Digital documents, a probationary period for novice drivers and "accompanied driving" for lorries will be introduced.

Here's What We Know

The agreement to update the EU driving licence directive, reached in the early hours of Tuesday morning, is designed to improve road safety in Europe. According to official statistics, nearly 20,000 people are killed on EU roads every year.

Learning to use the phone and driving in dangerous conditions

MEPs have introduced new requirements so that drivers are better prepared for real-life driving situations and have sufficient awareness of the risks associated with pedestrians, children, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. To obtain a licence, the future driver will have to learn about the risks of distraction and the safety implications of using a phone while driving, the risks of blind spots, advanced driving assistance systems, opening doors safely and driving in snow and slippery road conditions.

Digital driving licences

Digital driving licences, accessible on a smartphone with a pan-European digital wallet (EU e-Wallet), will become the main format in the EU. Union member states will have five years and six months after the new rules come into force to implement them. However, MEPs have assured that the right to apply for a physical driving licence will remain.

Two-year probationary period for new drivers, alcohol content limit

For the first time, EU rules will set a probationary period of at least two years for new drivers. Novice drivers will face tougher penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without seatbelts and transporting young children without child seats. The updated directive calls on EU countries to implement a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol and drugs. In particular, to completely ban the consumption of alcohol by all drivers.

Lowering the licence age for professional drivers

To compensate for the shortage of professional drivers, the minimum age for obtaining a licence with a category for driving a lorry will be lowered from 21 to 18, and for bus driving licences from 24 to 21. But only if the applicant has a certificate of professional competence.

Moreover, EU countries will be able to allow even 17-year-old drivers accompanied by an experienced driver to drive lorries and vans on their territory. This system of accompanied driving will also be extended to passenger cars across the EU.

Validity and performance checks

Negotiators agreed that driving licences should be valid for 15 years for motorbikes and cars. EU countries can reduce this period to 10 years if the licence can be used as a national identity card, while truck and bus licences will have to be renewed every five years. EU countries can reduce the validity of driving licences for older drivers (65 years and over).

Before obtaining a first licence, a driver must undergo a medical examination, including eye and cardiovascular checks. However, for car or motorbike drivers, EU countries may replace medical examinations with self-assessment forms or, in the case of driver licence renewal, other alternative measures.

Timeline for the introduction of the new rules

EU Member States have four years (excluding digital driving licences) to implement the new rules into national law. The revised EU rules on driving licences are part of a package of road safety measures presented by the European Commission in March 2023.

The aim of this package is to improve the safety of all road users and, if possible, to eliminate road fatalities in the EU by 2050 (Vision Zero policy). The same package includes provisions on the revocation of driving licences, on which the Parliament and the Council are still negotiating.

Source: European Parliament