EU Driving licence
December 30, 2008 by Ken
Filed under Westminster
Taglined “Exclusive” the Telegraph headlines the story that motorists will face a range of new health checks to determine whether they are fit to drive under the most comprehensive reform of the driving licence system in decades. Drivers will have to declare every 10 years whether they are medically able to get behind the wheel, according to proposals to be set out early in the new year.
For the first time, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will issue a series of minimum physical and mental requirements motorists must fulfil including eyesight performance and reaction times.
The telegraph tells us that “The move is designed to weed out tens of thousands of motorists – many of them elderly – who use their cars while suffering from conditions which could make them a danger to themselves or others.” “We are trying to improve road safety and help drivers fulfil their obligations. What we have now doesn’t work,” said a Whitehall source.
Erm……. Not really, the move is to implement the EU Third Driving Licence directive which was proposed by the Commission in 2003 and was supposedly to enhance the free movement of EU drivers by harmonising driver licensing systems in all member states. A fully functioning internal market, an objective set by the European Council in the Lisbon agenda, also requires action in the field of driving licences, so that the free movement of driving licence holders is at last ensured.
At the risk of sounding like DR North of EU Referendum (if only) the media, in this case the Telegraph are only telling us half the story and dressing it up with government spin to hide the fact that this is being introduced to comply with EU harmonisation rules and to hide the fact that the government we elect no longer makes our laws, but simply introduce those they are instructed to by our real government.
One of the objectives of the new legislation on driving licences is the introduction of a compulsory administrative renewal for all new licences. A mandatory and regular administrative renewal of driving licences will ensure that all documents in circulation can be updated using the most up-to-date security features. The reduction of the number of licence models in circulation will ease enforcement, and so will the greater likeness of the holder of the photo on the licence.
