The European Union is considering restricting driving licenses, especially for novice drivers and seniors. In the conversation with Katia Wagner, the EU’s ideas are not well received: State Secretary for Youth Claudia Plakolm describes the proposals as “nonsense”, retired representative Ingrid Korosec sees “intimidation”.
According to Korosek, the European Union should focus on “more important matters” and “stay away” from driving licenses. She finds the idea of mandatory health checks from the age of 60 ‘laughable’; they should be voluntary. “You have to motivate people and not force them to participate,” says the head of the pensioners’ association.
Plakolm: “EU has no feeling for the reality of boys’ lives”
The State Secretary for Youth Affairs also sees little positive in the idea that novice driving license holders are only allowed to drive 90 km/h on the highway or are not even allowed to get into the car at night. “This ignores the reality of young people’s lives,” explains Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP). The ‘general accusation’ against the boys also bothers her.
“Discussion is worth it”
The head of the legal service at the ÖAMTC, Martin Hoffer, considers the discussion about redesigning the driving license fundamentally “worth supporting”. For him, the proposals are still a “fighting document”. Hoffer emphasizes: “Road safety is not a matter of age.” He advocates that people take their own responsibility instead of “bullying”. In other countries, such as Switzerland, a temporary driver’s license for seniors has not yet resulted in major safety improvements.
Young people and the over 80s in particular are involved in accidents
The director of the Board of Trustees for Road Safety, Christian Schimanofsky, shows the sources of errors for motorists. Younger people may be more willing to take risks. In the accident statistics you see a “bathtub curve” – this means that mainly young people and the elderly aged 80 and over are involved in accidents. He recommends training to encourage people to drive safely and warns against turning road safety into an “ideological discussion”.
“Stricter speed limits through the back door”
Claudia Plakolm sees the introduction of lower speed limits “through the back door” in the EU’s proposals. According to Plakolm, the MP who put forward these ideas would only want to implement “the green ideology”. “If you want stricter speed limits, then you should say it this way,” says the State Secretary for Youth.
Watch the full video above. You can see “Katia Wagner – the talk” every Wednesday at 8:15 PM on krone.tv. Join the discussion and vote!
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
