Drivers in the European Union (EU) will have to comply with new rules and Member States will have to incorporate them into their laws within the next four years.
Under the new rules, digital driving licences stored on smartphones will become the main method of identification. However, drivers will still be able to request a physical driving licence.
To address the shortage of lorry drivers, the minimum age for obtaining a category C licence (for heavy vehicles) will be reduced from 21 to 18, while for bus drivers the age requirement will be reduced from 24 to 21.
Also 17-year olds will be allowed to drive lorries or minibuses in their own country, as long as they are accompanied by an experienced driver.
However, if a person is banned from driving in one EU country, the ban will apply throughout the EU. Currently, if a licence is withdrawn, the penalty is often imposed only in the country where the offence was committed. Other Member States, including the one that issued the licence, are usually unaware of this.
Serious road traffic offences such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, causing a fatal accident or speeding more than 50 km/h will now result in licence suspension.
In such cases, the authorities will have 20 working days to notify the driver and inform him of his right to appeal.
There will also be a mandatory two-year probation period for new drivers in all EU countries. During this period, new drivers will face tougher penalties for offences such as drink-driving, not wearing a seat belt or not properly restraining a child passenger.
The new rules will also make it easier for EU citizens to obtain a driving licence while living in another Member State. If the host country does not offer driving tests in one of the languages spoken in the person’s home country, the person will be able to take the test and obtain a licence in his or her own country, even if he or she is not officially living there.
Driving licences will be valid for a maximum of 15 years, but countries will be able to shorten the validity period for older drivers and for lorry or bus drivers. Drivers will also be subject to more systematic checks on their fitness to drive.
The updated rules aim to improve road safety across the EU, where nearly 20 000 people die on the roads every year. The aim is to reduce this number by at least 50% by 2030.
Read the full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2531508/changes-to-driving-rules-in-lithuania-and-eu-what-you-need-to-know
Drivers in EU soon to face new rules
