Members of the European Parliament are due to debate Tuesday, February 27, on legislation from the Transport Committee aimed at calling into question the principle of a lifetime driving license, with a vote scheduled for Wednesday. One of the measures is proving particularly controversial: the implementation of a medical check-up every 15 years that will be required for the renewal of driving licences. In France, the drivers' organization has called it 40 Millions d'Automobilistes has called it nothing short of "ill-advised," "inadmissible" and "unacceptable."

This test would be used to check the fitness to drive of all road users in the European Union by checking eyesight, hearing and reflexes. According to French Green MEP Karima Delli, the text's rapporteur, the aim is to reduce the number of deaths on Europe's roads by 50% by 2030 and achieve "zero deaths and serious injuries" by 2050. "Mental and physical health are of crucial importance for driving," she said.

In several European countries – including Spain, Greece and the Czech Republic – similar schemes have been introduced, without it being possible to assess their impact. A source close to Delli said that the legislation aims to extend this principle to all EU member states, in response to "current road safety issues," namely "the aging of the population."

Alzheimer's, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), head injuries, epilepsy: Although the text is aimed primarily at the elderly, it is also aimed at all road users, "because incapacitating pathologies can affect people of any age," insisted Dr. Michel Avisse, president of the Permicomed association of accredited doctors.

According to a list of recommendations drawn up by France's College of General Medicine and the French Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, among others, patients with a major neurocognitive disorder represent "too great a risk of driving error or accident." For these people, medical professionals recommend that they stop driving motorized vehicles altogether, "because Alzheimer's disease increases the risk of collision by 2.5 times," explained Philippe Lauwick, general practitioner and member of the French National Road Safety Council. According to Lauwick, a number of pathologies, such as stroke or head trauma, can lead to a significant reduction in analytical capacity. He also pointed out that certain drug treatments, such as antidepressants or Lexomil-type anxiolytics, can impair driving. "To drive, you need to have a certain ability to take in information, process it and execute the appropriate maneuver," said Lauwick.

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