The European Parliament on Tuesday formally approved a wide-ranging reform of driving licence rules across the European Union, designed to close legal loopholes, enhance road safety, and pave the way for fully digital licences accessible on mobile phones.

The overhaul seeks to reduce the nearly 20,000 annual road deaths recorded in 2024 by tightening renewal and testing requirements, improving the exchange of information between member states, and ensuring that serious traffic offenders cannot evade sanctions by crossing borders.

Under the new rules, motorists who lose their licence in one EU country for a serious offence will no longer be able to drive in any other member state, ending a loophole that currently allows around 40% of disqualified drivers to go unpunished, according to Italian reporting MEP Matteo Ricci.

The regulation sets a maximum validity of 15 years for car and motorcycle licences, or 10 years in countries where the licence also serves as an identity document. The validity period may be shorter for drivers over 65.

The EU will also accelerate the digital transition by promoting a fully dematerialised, smartphone-accessible driving licence as the main format, while still allowing citizens to request a physical version if they prefer.

Driving tests will include new sections focused on the safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, covering blind spots, door-opening safety, and the dangers of phone use while driving.

The reform also introduces a two-year probationary period for new drivers, during which stricter rules and penalties will apply. In addition, 17-year-olds will be allowed to begin accompanied driving in cars or on motorcycles, though independent driving will remain restricted to those aged 18 and above.