- Changes in driving license 2023: EU revised directive
- driver’s license class B will be expanded
- Digital driver’s license: That should change
- New for learner drivers: refresher courses and more
With the driver’s license more should soon be possible. revised for this the EU Commission of their Driving License Policy and the new version is to be adopted as early as 2023. What changes are under discussion?
New guideline for driving licenses from 2023: This will change for drivers
Probably the biggest change is this Extension of the category B driver’s license. So far, you can only drive motor vehicles with a total weight of up to 3.5 tons. This permissible total mass is now to 4.25 tons be raised. This is good news, especially for camping fans. Because according to that ADAC most mobile homes are too heavy for a normal driver’s license. If you want to drive a mobile home or a van, you can do so with a class B driving licence.
Also for motorcyclists the rules are expected to be relaxed with the new directive. The EU attaches particular importance to standardizing the rules in the member countries. At the Driving license B196 however, this has not yet been the case. With this extension of the car driver’s license you can Light motorcycles up to 125 ccm drive – that’s true only in Germany. However, nationally applicable rules are to be recognized throughout the EU in the future. Motorcyclists are then allowed to use their 125 machine also in other EU countries to go.
Digitization should also be promoted. With the new directive would be a digital driver’s license sufficient for a police check or car rental. That should have a corresponding apartment work on mobile. In Germany, the introduction of such an app failed in 2021, thanks to the EU directive, the digital driving license could be given a second chance. The driver’s license card could also look different in the future: instead of the chip, a QR code on the card to make the driver’s license more forgery-proof.
Novice drivers have to take a refresher course: the EU is planning this
Changes are also planned for learner drivers. That’s how it’s supposed to be Minimum age for truck and bus driving licenses be reduced to 18 years. So far, you can only acquire class C for trucks at the age of 21, and class D for buses only at the age of 24. However, since there is an acute shortage of professional drivers in many countries, the rules are to be relaxed.
With the driver’s license, there is, however stricter rules for learner drivers. It is envisaged that the practical driving lessons only after passing the theory test allowed to start. The driving test could also simulators be removed, at least in part. In addition, the novice drivers should have a driver’s license after one year “Refresher course” to visit. Participation would be mandatory. The refresher course was recommended by road safety professionals to reduce the number of accidents.
In return, the examinees are also promised a relief: The Residence Rules could be softened. Then it would be possible to take the theoretical and practical exam in different EU member states to be completed. The politicians justify this step with the increasing mobility of the population.
Decision in 2023: when will the driving license changes come to Germany?
However, uniform rules in the EU not only mean more freedoms, the penalties are also adjusted. In the new driver’s license directive, for example, Length of driver’s license suspension be unified – and mutually recognized. Anyone who has been banned from driving in France or Italy is then also not allowed to drive in Germany. Uniform limit values for alcohol and drug driving as well as the alignment of scoring system are also in the works. This should make police checks easier, and the driver’s license data of all EU citizens should also be stored in one common database get saved.
When exactly and in what form the new changes will come into force is not yet clear. According to the roadmap of the initiative will the EU Commission in the first quarter, so until the end of MarchMooring the 4th driver’s license rule. The proposal then goes through the EU Parliament and the Council of the EU, the decision should be in the course of 2023. But then it is up to the individual countries to implement the directive in their laws. Whether Germany later this year implements the changes is questionable. There could also be further changes, the guideline has not yet been formulated.
But even without the EU directive, there will be some changes for drivers in 2023: You can find an overview here.
