2023-12-05 06:26:25
Instead of mandatory driving ability tests, driving license holders should rely on self-assessment when renewing. Reason will prevail, Andreas Schieder (SPÖ) is convinced.
The EU member states have agreed on a common position on reforming EU driving license rules. Accordingly, driving licenses should be renewed every 15 years – shorter deadlines in old age should be left to the respective countries, it said in a release from the council on Monday. Driving ability tests should not be mandatory either. Alternatively, EU states can rely on drivers’ self-assessments.
The possible check of the state of health when renewing a driving license, as is common in some EU countries, caused a stir in Austria. Austria has always taken a very negative position here, said Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) before today’s Council meeting in Brussels. She assumes that such health checks will continue to be off the table after negotiations with the EU Parliament.
In any case, she clearly advocated that Austria rely on the drivers’ self-assessment when implementing the directive. This is the most practical solution, says Gewessler. The minister also spoke out against shortening the validity period of driving licenses for older people. For her colleague from Berlin, the German Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), the self-assessment also goes too far. He fears that this will lead to more bureaucracy.
Limited to 15 years
In Austria, driving licenses that have been issued since 2013 are generally limited to 15 years. All driving licenses that were issued before 2013 – in Austria the old, pink paper licenses – remain valid until 2033. The prerequisite for this is that the name and data on the driver’s license are still legible and the person concerned can be clearly recognized in the photo. However, the paper licenses must be converted into a current credit card driving license by January 19, 2033 at the latest.
As a next step, the so-called trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament can now begin at the EU level. However, the EU MPs must first agree on their own position – the relevant committee will vote on Thursday.
“Reason will prevail”
The ÖVP-EU mandates Barbara Thaler and Wolfram Pirchner want to advocate in parliament for a solution similar to that of the EU states. “The new driving license guidelines must not discriminate against older or younger drivers,” the two wrote in a press release.
According to a press release, Andreas Schieder, head of the SPÖ delegation in the EU Parliament, expects that “reason will prevail” here. “Especially when it comes to suggestions such as mandatory medical checks for seniors or staggered speed limits for novice drivers. These are not effective and discriminatory.” (APA)
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