EU wants to pull seniors out of circulation – good thing!

If the EU has its way, the freedom for drivers over a certain age will soon come to an end. Seniors over 70 are supposed to prove their ability to drive – an initiative that has met with little approval in Germany. Sorry that doesn’t surprise me.

A comment by Felix Gräber

When it comes to cars, many Germans don’t sit well with cherries. Sad but true. This is currently being shown again by the example of a driving license reform plan put forward by the EU: According to this, drivers should from the age of 70 must prove that they are still able to drive on the road.

EU wants to check seniors: from 70 no more driving license freedom?

Specifically, the EU envisages that driving licenses generally in the EU instead of ten years in the future valid for 15 years should be – the carrot. But the whip follows directly: from the age of 70 upwards, the driver’s license should be obtained renewed after only five years Need to become. The fitness to drive would then have to be reassessed.

Luckily for everyone who sees themselves cheated of their freedom to drive: the EU proposal wants it for the member states decide how they check their fitness to drive. It would also be possible to give a verbal assurance that older drivers feel sufficiently healthy – and that would satisfy the EU rule. from one Hard duty can therefore be out of the question. Too bad actually.

Politics against driving license push: is Germany standing in the way?

But even this gentle plan is causing resentment in German politics: from the Baden-Württemberg state parliament, for example, it is said that the Proposal borders on age discrimination (Source: SWR). Voluntary tests are sufficient. But they are voluntary and have long been possible today. Anyone who insists on voluntary tests of driving ability wants everything to stay the same.

There is also opposition from the federal level: Transport Minister Volker Wissing relies on personal responsibility, is it[calledInthecourseofthee-fuelsdebateWissingshowedthathehasnoproblemwithblockingEUdecisionsAnewregulationofthealreadyolddriver’slicensedebateisthereforefarfromcertain

But one Duty to check the fitness to drive would be the right decision. There are always exceptions, but in general the likelihood of physical limitations increases with age, which can make driving significantly less safe or even impossible.

From 18 to 99: Everyone should have to prove they can drive

If it was up to me, you could just start earlier and introduce a thorough check: Anyone who has a driver’s license would have to do it once every five years get a check-up and take a short test drive. That’s fine apply to everyone, from novice drivers to seniors, who want to get behind the wheel.

Anyone who rattles through has to go to retraining if there are no medical reasons against the driver’s license. If so, it would depend, as it does today, on how severe the restrictions are. If you can’t drive safely, you should lose your driver’s license.

The ability to drive is not included, but something has also changed for drivers at the turn of the year:

In order not to exclude older people or people who are not able to drive for other reasons from society, alternatives would then be needed: a socially designed one mobility voucher for taxi rides, for example, or free rides on public transport, as is already the case today for people with disabilities.

After all, who would really lose anything if the streets were a little safer, as long as nobody was left behind socially? Can’t think of anyone? Well, neither do I.