European driving licence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The European driving licence is a driving licence intended to replace the many driving licence styles already in use in the member states of the European Union. It will have the credit card-style with a photograph and possibly a microchip. They are introduced to replace the 110 different plastic and paper driving licences of the 300 million drivers in the EU. The main objective of the licence is to decrease the risk of frauds.
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[edit] Introducing the new licence
In March 2006, the Council of Ministers approved plans to create a single European driving licence to replace the 110 different models currently in existence throughout the EU. The plans are supported by the European Commission.[1][2] The European parliament gave their final approval in December 2006 for the pan-European driving licence scheme.[3]
The licence will be a credit-card-style, single plastic-coated document, very difficult to falsify. The document will be renewable every 10 or 15 years depending on the member state. The several member states will have the option to include a microchip containing information about the card holder on the card. This will prove extremely useful because police can access the driving licence in their own language. This would solve the problem with the three kinds of alphabet (Latin, Greek and Cyrillic) used in the EU. In addition, the fields of the driving licence are uniformly numbered, thus allowing the police to decipher the meaning of the fields without electronic access.
The new European driving licence will be introduced in 2013 and the phasing-in stage of the new licence will end by 2033. Some categories like C and D will be issued for five years only. After expiration, a medical check-up is necessary in order to renew the licence for another five years.
In most European countries (after the standardisation of driving licences across the European Union in 1998) a person must be at least 17 or 18 years old to drive a car. [4][5]
[edit] Categories valid in all EU countries[4]
| Class | description | age of acquisition | assumes | includes | remarks |
| mopeds | |||||
| AM (M) | Two-wheel vehicles or three-wheel vehicles with a maximum design speed of not more than 45 km/h | 16 years | — | — | in Germany the term „Klasse M“ is in use. |
| motorcycles | |||||
| A1 | motorcycles with a cylinder capacity not exceeding 125 cubic centimetres, of a power not exceeding 11 kW and with a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0,1 kW/kg and motor tricycles with a power not exceeding 15 kW | 16 years | — | M | |
| A2 | motorcycles of a power not exceeding 35 kW and with a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0,2 kW/kg and not derived from a vehicle of more than double its power | 18 years | — | A1, M | |
| A | motorcycles; motor tricycles with a power exceeding 15 kW | The minimum age for category A is fixed at 20 years. However, access to the driving of motorcycles of this category shall be subject to a minimum of two years' experience on motorcycles under an A2 licence. This requirement as to previous experience may be waived if the candidate is at least 24 years old. The minimum age for motor tricycles exceeding 15 kW is fixed at 21 years | A2 | A1, M | |
| motor vehicles | |||||
| B | motor vehicles with a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 3500 kg and designed and constructed for the carriage of no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver; motor vehicles in this category may be combined with a trailer having a maximum authorised mass which does not exceed 750 kg | 18 years | — | M, L, S | |
| BE | without prejudice to the provisions of type-approval rules for the vehicles concerned, combination of vehicles consisting of a tractor vehicle in category B and a trailer or semi-trailer where the maximum authorised mass of the trailer or semi-trailer does not exceed 3500 kg | 18 years | B | — | |
| lorries | |||||
| C | Vehicles of more than 3.5 t mass and not more than 8 + 1 seats (lorry); with a trailer with a maximum mass of 750 kg | 18 years | B | C1 | |
| C1 | light lorry with a mass not more than 7.5 t; with a trailer with a maximum mass of 750 kg | 18 years | B | — | |
| CE | combinations of vehicles where the tractor vehicle is in category C and its trailer or semi-trailer has a maximum authorised mass of over 750 kg | 21 years | C | BE, C1E, D1E or DE, T | see C |
| C1E | other trailers which are heavier than 750 kg | 18 years | C1 | BE, D1E or DE | |
| buses | |||||
| D | Vehicles with more than 8 + 1 seats (buses) | 21 years | B | D1 | motor vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of more than eight passengers in addition to the driver; motor vehicles which may be driven with a category D licence may be combined with a trailer having a maximum authorised mass which does not exceed 750 kg |
| D1 | light buses with a maximum of 16 + 1 seats | 21 years | B | — | motor vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of no more than 16 passengers in addition to the driver and with a maximum length not exceeding 8 m; motor vehicles in this category may be combined with a trailer having a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 750 kg |
| DE | combinations of vehicles where the tractor vehicle is in category D and its trailer has a maximum authorised mass of over 750 kg | 21 years | D | BE, D1E, C1E | |
| D1E | combinations of vehicles where the tractor vehicle is in category D1 and its trailer has a maximum authorised mass of over 750 kg | 21 years | D1 | BE, C1E | |
[edit] National categories
Furthermore there are more national categories for tractors, fat motorcycles, motorised wheel boats, motor tricycles (modern voiturettes, Category B1 or S) and military categories such as for driving tanks.
[edit] Switzerland
Since the 2000s, Switzerland uses the EU system of vehicle categories, issues EU-style credit-card licences and has generally adopted much of the harmonised EU legislation with regard to drivers' licences.
To apply for a car driver's licence (category B), the applicant must be 18 years old. They must first pass a theoretical exam to receive a learner's permit valid for two years. This allows them to drive a car. A so called "conduite assisté" meaning assisted driving in French can be obtained at 17 years of age but the driver must drive with an adult 23 or older who has had his licence for 5 years. During the two years, after having obtained a licence, eight hours of theoretical traffic instruction by a cantonally certified driving instructor must be attended. Practical driving lessons are not legally required, but are considered a de facto prerequisite for passing the practical exam with a government expert, which around two thirds of trainees manage to do on the first attempt.
Since 2005, the driver's licence issued upon passing the practical exam is no longer permanent, but valid for three years only. In this time, two days of further training must be completed and no serious infractions of the rules of the road are allowed, or the permanent licence is not acquired.
For motorcycles and heavier vehicles, the regulations are different, and some agrarian vehicles can be driven without a licence. As of 2006, a 45-minute driving lesson costs around 90 CHF, while the various fees and theoretical instruction costs associated with getting a car driver's licence can amount to up to CHF 600, without counting the costs for the two days of further training.
To assist with the integration of foreign residents, some cantons such as Bern have recently stopped allowing the theoretical exam to be taken in any languages other than German, French, Italian and English. This measure is also being discussed at the national level.
1. Family name
2. Given name(s)
3. Date and place of birth
4a. Issuing date
4b. Expiry date
4c. Issuing authority
5. Licence number
7. Signature of bearer
9. Categories
9. Licence categories
10. Issue date of the category
11. Expiry date of the category
12. Restrictions (number coded)
[edit] Gallery
 Austria |
 Germany |
 Norway |
 Poland |
 Spain |
[edit] See also
- Exhibition: Driving Licences in Europe - from diversity to harmonisation
- European Computer Driving Licence
- Driving Licence
- European Commissioner for Transport
[edit] External links
- http://www.workpermit.com/news/2006_12_18/eu/european_driving_license.htm
- http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/3826/330
- http://www.euractiv.com/en/transport/single-europe-wide-driving-licence-2013/article-160496
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6180617.stm
- http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamichelin/gbr/tpl/mag4/art20060515/htm/route-permis-conduire.htm
- http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022547
[edit] References
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