Okra Challenges Proposed Driving License Regulation for Over-70s by European Commission.
The European Commission is considering a directive that requires seniors over 70 to demonstrate every five years that they are still able to drive. The Flemish elderly organization Okra labels this as blatant age discrimination.
Consultations between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council are currently underway on a revision of the driving license regulations. According to Article 10 of this amended directive, the Commission wants to force Member States to limit the validity of driving licenses of drivers aged 70 and over to five years or less.
The scheme proposes that persons who reach the age of 70 must prove through periodic medical tests that they are still fit to drive, and may also be required to take refresher courses. Koen Peeters of Okra criticizes: “This is clearly age discrimination. The Commission has not provided any concrete data or evidence showing that drivers aged 70 and over are more likely to be involved in accidents.” He adds that it appears the decision rests on the fictitious assumption that over-70s pose a threat on the road, an idea Okra strongly disputes.
Belgian MEP Benoît Lutgen (Les Engagés), Member of the Mobility Committee in the European Parliament, has expressed his support for Okra, and stated publicly that he will oppose additional checks based solely on age.
However, Peeters emphasizes that little publicity has been given to this issue in Belgium. For this reason, Okra recently sent letters to the Flemish members of the European Parliament and the Ministers of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), and of Mobility, Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo). Okra hopes to block this new regulation, as the European Commission is eager to implement it before the upcoming elections.
Okra emphasizes that they are not against measures that can improve road safety. Peeters states: “Screenings and time restrictions, based on medical diagnoses, are acceptable. But these should not be imposed solely because of age.” It is a call for fair and non-discriminatory measures that respect both the safety and dignity of all age groups.
