EU: Driving licence Directive agreed
01 December 2006
Full-text (pdf) with following:
Amendments (pdf)
This will introduce a uniform credit-card-like licence valid for only 10 years. A number of countries issue licences for life - Germany, Austria, France, Belgium and, until recently, the UK where licences for most holders are still valid up to the age of 70 years old. Now the UK only issues 10 year card licences because:
"Your photocard driving licence is valid for a maximum of 10 years, to ensure that your photograph is kept up to date with your true likeness."
Two other significant changes will allow member states to require medical checks from the age of 50 years old and the introduction of a microchip containing additional data is "optional". The danger is that as new technology becomes cheaply available the microchip will become the norm and the data held on it extended.