Driving license: what is this measure that could require you to have a medical examination every 15 years ?

Vers la fin du permis de conduire à vie ? MAXPPP – Richard Villalon

The European Parliament should soon vote on an important text: have a medical examination every fifteen years to keep your driving license.

After the announcement of the dematerialized driving license, could it soon be the end of the lifetime driving license ? The question is on the table of the European Parliament.

In December, the Transport Committee of the European body, chaired by French MEP Karima Delli (the Greens), adopted new rules.

Among them, one measure is particularly debated: the passage of a compulsory medical examination when obtaining the license, then every fifteen years,&nbsp ;regardless of age.

The objective behind this measure would be to halve the number of road deaths in Europe by 2030 and even zero deaths by 2050. a figure which today stands at 20,000 per year.

Other European countries have already adopted a similar measure. In the Netherlands, from the age of 75, motorists must pass a medical examination every 5 years. It's from age 70 in Denmark and Finland, 65 in Spain, Greece and the Czech Republic.

In addition, a column was notably signed by politicians such as Raphaël Glucksmann and doctors like Michel Cymes in Le Figaro to carry out a medical examination every 15 years for drivers. And if the signatories of this forum consider it necessary to move in this direction, this is not the case for everyone.

Associations are up in arms against this measure

Some associations are not in favor of this measure. They launched an online petition "Don't touch my license".

Pierre Chasseray, member of the association 40 Millions d'Automobilistes, indicates that nothing justifies this type of provision, not even the argument of the number deaths on the roads: "This is the first time, in France, that the potential renewal of the driving license is being called into question, and this is not acceptable", he explains. According to him, in all the countries where medical control has been introduced, "there has been no significant improvement in road safety". 

The medical examination should include at least one vision test, the rest of the mandatory tests would be decided by the different Member States.