A new EU directive on driving licences, recently adopted by the European Parliament, is already sparking a backlash — especially among older drivers who say the measures unfairly target them.

Stricter medical checks, shorter licence validity, and tighter renewal rules are at the heart of the controversy. Many fear that the reform, part of Brussels’ ambitious “Vision Zero 2050” strategy to eliminate road deaths, will penalize senior citizens rather than protect them.

Adopted on October 21, 2025, the directive marks a major shift for motorists across Europe. It extends the validity of car and motorcycle licences to 15 years, while heavy goods vehicle and bus licences remain valid for five years. A new EU-wide digital licence will also be introduced, accessible via smartphone or in paper form for those less digitally connected.

Another key change is the recognition of driving bans across all member states, preventing sanctioned drivers from simply crossing borders to get back behind the wheel.

But it’s the introduction of mandatory health checks to assess physical and visual fitness that has caused the most anger. For Brussels, the goal is clear — to reduce accidents and adapt licensing rules to an ageing population. For many, though, it feels like thinly veiled discrimination.

“Disguised Discrimination” or Common Sense?

Under the new directive, member states can require regular medical exams before each licence renewal, especially after a certain age — 65, 70 or 75, depending on national law. The checks may include eyesight tests, reflex assessments, or general health reviews.

Countries like Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands already apply such measures. In Spain and the Netherlands, drivers over 65 must undergo a medical exam every five years, while in Italy the licence validity drops to just three years after 70.

France currently has no such obligation, which explains the growing concern that the EU reform could change that. Many senior drivers view the idea as stigmatizing and unfair.

AGE Platform Europe, an advocacy group for older citizens, condemned the directive, calling it “an insidious form of stigmatization.”
“Seniors are often among the safest drivers, involved in fewer serious accidents,” a spokesperson said. “Targeting them like this amounts to punishing them for getting older.”

Even some MEPs have voiced concern, suggesting that behind the rhetoric of road safety lies a hidden agenda — to reduce the number of elderly drivers and clear the roads, without any real evidence to justify the move.

France Faces a Difficult Debate

In France, nothing will change immediately. The government has three years to transpose the directive into national law, meaning no major shift before 2028 or 2029.

Still, the debate has already begun. A 2024 Senate report proposed mandatory medical checks every five years after age 70, following the Spanish model. The Interior Ministry is now weighing several options: a simplified health check by a licensed doctor, an online self-assessment for drivers with clean records, or a shorter licence validity for older drivers.

The proposed exam would cost between €25 and €40 — likely paid by drivers themselves, a prospect already sparking anger. Rural communities, where driving is often essential, fear the reform will further isolate older residents and erode independence.

#HandsOffMyLicense: Seniors Push Back Online

Since the European Parliament’s vote, social media has erupted with anger. The hashtags #HandsOffMyLicense and #AngrySeniors have flooded Facebook, X, and TikTok, as retirees and motorists denounce what they call a “patronizing” reform.

“I’ve been driving for 50 years without an accident — and now they want me to prove I’m fit?” one user wrote. Others accused Brussels of “taking away freedom little by little.”

Videos of elderly drivers expressing their frustration have drawn hundreds of thousands of views. Many say they feel ignored and disrespected by lawmakers in Brussels.

Younger users, however, have defended the measure, arguing that regular health checks are “just common sense.” The debate has since turned into a generational clash between safety advocates and those defending personal freedom — a divide that may prove just as difficult to bridge as Europe’s roads themselves.