Harmonised Single EU Driving Licence

Smartcard style single plastic licence.

Common test, common licence, common standards.

People "coming over here, using our roads" will have to have the same
level of driving test as the locals.


Excellent, although this will pave the way for cross-border
parking and speeding tickets.

Roll-out is planned from 2013 I believe.

[symon]

Sounds like a bad idea to me I have heard rumours that it is easy to "buy" a licence with out passing a test in certain eastern european countries.

Anyway, doesn't a licence issued in the EU cover you anyway?

[michaelb]

How are they harmonising the speeding points? They being additive in the UK and subtractive in France. Who is going to change?

[Rewe]

Good idea.

[ACAPULCO AL]

if it raises the standards of some eastern european drivers then i'm all for it. don't like the idea of border-less fines & points though - i'd have been banned 2 years ago in france if that happened

[michaelb]

Hey, this could be really good. You speed in the UK you get given three points. Then all you have to do is go over to France and get caught speeding and they'll DEDUCT three points, which leaves you with a clean licence.











But somehow I don't think it will work quite like that

[In_The_Pass]

I once got a RoSPA gold grade. I am exempt from that foreign muck.

Does it mean they all get to drive on the left?

[In_The_Pass]

See page 62:

http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publication...cframework.pdf

5.14 on page 60 is my favourite so far.

[Rewe]

Originally Posted by Monza96

See page 62:

http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publication...cframework.pdf

5.14 on page 60 is my favourite so far.

No mention of single EU driving licences.

[symon]

"Strategic framework for road safety"

I think filling in all of the pot holes would be a good start.

But then it is far easier for some fat bureaucrat to sit on his backside and write out a piece of paper full of guidelines.

[In_The_Pass]

It mentioned chasing drivers across borders so they couldn't escape driving penalties.

I started to read the framework lastnight, but so far I am not instilled with confidence. DoT commissioned research highlighted falling driving standards a few years agi, so this 'framework' seems tardy and a bit 'touchy feely'. It'll probably be 2012 before I get time to read through it fully.

[symon]

Falling driving standards won't be fixed with EU driving licences IMO.

It will be fixed by getting rid of speed cameras and getting more real police on the roads.

I can't remember I actually saw a traffic cop other than on TV.

[alfabeat]

Originally Posted by symon

Falling driving standards won't be fixed with EU driving licences IMO.

It will be fixed by getting rid of speed cameras and getting more real police on the roads.

I can't remember I actually saw a traffic cop other than on TV.

Same here. Always used to see them on motorways on their high level slip ways, but haven't seen them for a few years now. Plenty of the pretend ones in the Highway patrol landrovers, but no real coppers. Not complaining mind.

More info:

Just a format/categories changes for the moment.

Not an actual EU wide licence. yet:

Transport: Driving licence - European commission

Directive 2006/126/EEC of 20 December 2006 will replace directive 91/439 19 January 2013.

The new rules introduced by directive 2006/126/EC will reduce possibilities of fraud, guarantee a true freedom of movement for EU drivers and reinforce safety on European roads.

The main aspects of are:

• Anti-fraud measures
  Only plastic card
  Optional microchip
  Limited administrative validity
• Further harmonisation of categories
  Mopeds: AM
  Motorcycles: A1, A2, A
  Categories B and BE
  Categories C1, C1E, D1, D1E
• Reinforce progressive access to categories (age, dimensions)
• Harmonised periodicity medical checks for group 2
• Requirements for driving examiners: new Annex

[will01]

Originally Posted by Nev

Smartcard style single plastic licence.

Common test, common licence, common standards.

People "coming over here, using our roads" will have to have the same
level of driving test as the locals.


Excellent, although this will pave the way for cross-border
parking and speeding tickets.

Roll-out is planned from 2013 I believe.

Everytime i have been over to France i have noticed the level of driving to be much below the standards of other EU countries (e.g. Paris), so does that mean it will be an easy test then hehe .
idea of transferring pints though is a stupid idea, everyone knows when we all drive abroad we drive with care

Originally Posted by will01

(e.g. Paris)

Yeah they like to drive like **** down here too.
Like most tourists.

[will01]

hehe , i would say that the worst driving examples i have ever seen have mostly been in France, e.g. great example i was down in Ares (Nearish to Bourdeaux)there was a large roundabout and in the space of a few minutes i saw someone drive straight over and i also saw another driver take a shortcut over a piece of grass to avoid using the roundabout was really funny lol
Anyway i was just having a wee laugh, hopefully no offense has been taken
Some ppl near here drive like complete arses that includes ppl in marked cars

[MalcQV]

Italy, in particular Naples.
Some bloke in a Cinquecento decided to parallel park at the side of the street in the city. I said to my GF that he had, even in the little car, not enough space. He did, simply by driving back and forth pushing the car behind and the one in front enough with his car until he could get in.
At that point I decided to leave Naples and return back to the hotel at which point a car coming the other way attempted to remove my door mirror

Then there was the motor cycles filling every available gap around you on the road.

One last thing was crossing the road, we realised that any driver would not stop even at crossings but if you stepped out the whole road would grind to a halt (mostly, except motor cycles).

They are mad in Italy. I did find in Milan and at Maranello they were far more courteous.

[alfabeat]

Corfu town in July. Nightmare place. Trying to find parking is impossible unless you do it the Greek/Italian/french way as discussed above (find something that resembles a gap and force your vehicle in). If no gaps wider than 1m, then just double park - simple! I got blocked in for an afternoon waiting for the courteous double parker to return. Quick smile and a shrug and he was off. Think he expected me to just force my way out and was quite pleased to see me waiting instead. Just have to go with it - and stay chilled.

[ACAPULCO AL]

yep parking there is a nightmare. hired a car there a few years ago, late august i think it was. took us at least half an hour of driving round in circles to find a place

as for french drivers, i don't find them too bad. they get ****ter the further south you go though. especially around antibes

Originally Posted by ACAPULCO AL

especially around antibes

yeah. Me being here ups the average driving competency
of the region by a massive amount.