On March 21, the EU Parliament TRAN committee discussed the Road Safety proposal of the European Commission, which includes the revision of the current Directive on driving licences adopted in 2006, with the aim of improving road safety and facilitating free movement.
The proposal includes several changes concerning drivers’ health and the duration of the validity of driving licences for people living with diabetes (PwD). The aim of the changes is to take into account the latest technological and medical developments, which now allow for an improved management of diabetes.
When the revision was announced in 2022, MEP Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé (PPE, France), for example, stressed the fact that, based on medical advances and improved medical devices for the management of blood sugar levels, the current restrictions imposed on PwD are anachronistic. During the TRAN committee meeting on March 21, MEP Dominique Riquet (Renew, France), also highlighted the fact that the Commission’s proposal on diabetes and drivers’ health represents a step in the right direction, but “more needs to be done”. MEP Riquet called for better coordination between administrative processes and specialised care.
The current Directive requires PwD to undergo a medical re-assessment of their driving ability every five years. With the new proposal, the burden of these controls will be reduced by extending the duration of the validity of PwD’s driving licences to 10 years.
The revision is currently open for feedback for a period of eight weeks, until May 17, when the proposal will be transferred to the European Parliament and the Council for adoption.
