Digital driving licence, new EU rules: it can be renewed online and can be taken from 17 years old

La driver's license he retires, or rather, he gets his driving license digital valid throughout the Union: it is held on the smartphone, it is renewed online and it is expected that from the age of 17 it is possible to practice driving in accompanied cars and trucks. Driver's license training and examination will take more account of the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, scooters and electric bicycles. And, among other things, a tightening of some is expected infringements such as dangerous overtaking, crossing solid lines, driving against traffic. They are the main ones proposals of European Commission to modernize the rules on driving licences, which will be examined by the European Parliament and the Council in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure. Here's everything you need to know about the EU's proposed new digital driving license rules.

Digital driving licence, apps and QR codes: the new EU rules

A significant proposition is the digitization driving license within the EU. The initiative envisages that the driving licence, or at least a facsimile thereof, be inserted in the smartphone or another electronic device of the owner. The digital driving license would work like the physical one and would be valid for police checks and identification validation. It was also reported that the physical driving license in the EU will be equipped with a QR code, which will hopefully help fight counterfeit licenses.

All this will simplify the recognition of driving licenses between Member States. It will be much easier to replace and renew a driving license, as all procedures will be online. Likewise, it will be easier for citizens of non-EU countries with comparable road safety standards, replace your driving licence.

New driving license rules to make the roads safer

The main objective is to improve road safety: more than 20.000 people lost their lives in road accidents in the EU last year and most of the victims were pedestrians, cyclists and users of scooters and motorbikes. This safe system requires safe driving, safer vehicles, safer infrastructure, lower speeds and better post-crash assistance. In detail, the measures include:

1. A probationary period of at least two years for i novice drivers after passing the exam and a rule of zero tolerance on driving under the influence of alcohol.
   
2. Enable young people to take the driving test and start accompanied driving of cars and trucks (hence categories B and C) from the age of 17 to gain experience. Those who pass will be able to drive themselves from their 18th birthday and to work as a professional driver as soon as a specific job allows. This will help solve the current driver shortage.
   
3. Adapt training and test driving to better prepare drivers for the presence of vulnerable users on the road: pedestrians, cyclists and users of scooters and electric bicycles. For example, knowledge and skills related to advanced driver assistance systems and other automated technologies will be assessed. New drivers will also be taught how their driving style affects emissions, such as the timing of gear changes. Finally, the permissible mass of a category 'B' vehicle will be changed for alternative fuel vehicles, as battery-powered zero-emission vehicles may be heavier.
   
4. A more focused assessment ofmedical suitability, which takes into account advances in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes. Drivers will also be encouraged to update their driving skills and knowledge to keep pace with technological developments.

Cross-border enforcement of traffic safety rules 

Even today many of the infringements cross-border was committed with impunity, either because the offender was not identified or because the payment was not made.

The Commission's proposals seek to solve this problem by giving enforcement authorities access to national driving license registers. Furthermore, it is proposed to strengthen the role of established national contact points, so that the current lack of cooperation between Member States in the investigation of infringements can be addressed.

Furthermore, the current law covers some of the most frequent and serious offences, such as thespeeding and drink driving, but the Commission proposes to broaden the scope of offenses to code of the road a:

• not keeping a sufficient distance from the vehicle in front;

• dangerous overtaking;

• dangerous parking;

• crossing of one or more solid white lines;

• driving against traffic;

• failure to comply with the rules on the use of emergency corridors;

• the use of an overloaded vehicle.

These additions will help reduce impunity for such infringements and improve Member States' ability to sanction offenders from other Member States, ensuring equal treatment of resident and non-resident offenders.  

A dedicated IT portal will allow citizens to easily access information on the road safety rules in force in each Member State and, over time, to pay directly the fines.

Driving license withdrawal throughout the EU

To avoid impunity for traffic offenders, a new system will also be introduced which will allow the enforcement of the driving license withdrawal throughout the EU when a Member State decides to withdraw the driving license due to an infringement committed on its territory.

Under current rules, when a serious infringement leads to a driving license withdrawal, this cannot be enforced across the EU if the driver committed the infringement in a Member State other than the one that issued his license driving.

The Commission's proposal concerns the serious infractions traffic laws, such as speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and causing death or serious bodily injury as a result of a traffic violation.