Instead of mandatory driving ability tests, driving license holders should rely on self-assessment at the time of renewal. Reason will prevail, Andreas Schieder (SPÖ) is convinced.
EU member states have agreed a common position on reforming EU driving license rules. Therefore, driving licenses should be renewed every 15 years – shorter deadlines in old age should be left to the respective countries, it said in a council statement on Monday. Driving ability tests should also not be mandatory. Alternatively, EU states could rely on drivers’ self-assessments.
The possible health status check when renewing a driving license, as is common in some EU countries, caused an uproar in Austria. Austria has always taken a very negative stance here, said Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) ahead of today’s Council meeting in Brussels. She assumes that such health checks will remain out of the question after negotiations with the EU Parliament.
In any case, she clearly advocated for Austria to rely on drivers’ self-assessment when implementing the directive. This is the most practical solution, says Gewessler. The minister also spoke out against reducing the validity period of elderly people’s driver’s licenses. For his Berlin colleague, German Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), self-assessment also goes too far. He fears this will lead to more bureaucracy.
Limited to 15 years
In Austria, driving licenses issued since 2013 are generally limited to 15 years. All driving licenses 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 driving license are still legible and the interested party can be clearly recognized in the photo. However, paper licenses must be converted to current credit card driver’s licenses by January 19, 2033 at the latest.
As a next step, so-called trialogue negotiations with the European Parliament can now begin at EU level. However, EU MEPs must first agree on their own position – the relevant committee will vote on Thursday.
“Reason will prevail”
ÖVP-EU mandates Barbara Thaler and Wolfram Pirchner want to defend a solution similar to that of the EU states in parliament. “The new driving license guidelines should 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, hopes that “reason will prevail” here. “Especially when it comes to suggestions like mandatory medical exams for seniors or tiered speed limits for novice drivers. These are not effective and discriminatory.” (APA)