MEPs reject the idea of ​​a compulsory medical examination every 15 years

There will be no compulsory medical examination to maintain your driving license. MEPs certainly adopted on Wednesday February 28 the reform of the European rules which govern the precious sesame, with 339 votes for and 240 votes against. But its flagship measure, the compulsory medical check-up upon issuing or renewing the license every 15 years, is not one of them.

The amendment defended by environmentalist MEP Karima Delli received 270 votes for, 323 votes against and 20 abstentions. “The text was emptied of anything ambitious for road safety”deplores Karima Delli, rapporteur for the driving license reform project, to BFMTV. “It’s the status quo. It’s up to member states to decide whether or not they want a medical examination”regrets the elected environmentalist.

France has one of the most flexible regulations in Europe. Medical examinations are already required in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and even Finland. Road Safety had also expressed reservations about the effectiveness of an examination every 15 years. She refers to studies by the European Transport Safety Council which do not really show a link between medical visits and a reduction in road deaths. Associations such as the Drivers’ Defense League or 40 million motorists had criticized a discriminatory measure against older drivers.