Briefing – Reducing the minimum age for driving an HGV, Bus or Coach in the EU would increase safety risks

The European Commission is currently preparing a revision of the EU Driving Licence Directive 2006/126. A stated objective of the legislation is to enhance road safety: contributing to ‘Vision Zero’ and the targets of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.

Despite the road safety aim of the legislation, the road transport industry has embarked on a lobbying campaign to reduce the minimum age in the EU for lorry driving to 18, with training starting at 17. ETSC argues that shortages of professional coach and truck drivers should be managed by increasing attractiveness of the sector, by improving working conditions and wages to retain current workers and attract new transport workers, not by reducing the minimum age requirements, which would increase risks to all road users.

This special briefing accompanies ETSC’s recently published position paper on the revision of the Driving Licence Directive which examines a range of other issues around driver licensing and road safety.