The European Council has adopted common positions on two proposals forming part of the so-called ‘road safety’ legislative package.
The Commission’s proposal introduces four main new elements regarding to driving licences and cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offences.
For driving licences, there will be stricter conditions for drivers in the two years after they pass their test, health self assessment and a mobile driving licences as part of a digital ID. Offences rules now cover more offences, such as cases of not respecting vehicle access restrictions or rules at a railway level-crossing, as well as hit-and-run cases and further clarification of the different procedures related to accessing vehicle registration data.
Óscar Puente, Spanish minister of transport and sustainable mobility said: “This is a paradigm shift for the driving licences regime in Europe. Together with strengthening mechanisms for mutual assistance between Member States to facilitate the identification of the concerned person and the enforcement of fines the new legislation will improve safety on European motorways and guarantee safer residential areas across the EU.”
Read the full news release here.
(Picture – Yay Images)
