DGT suspends plan to shorten driving licence renewal periods for over-65’s in Spain

Spain’s Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) announced the suspension today, Thursday, June 1, of its previous decision to shorten the licence renewal periods for drivers over 65 years of age.

Initially, the DGT was seeking to reduce the renewal period from five to two years, but the suspension of the plenary session of Congress implied, among other things, the paralysation of all parliamentary procedures.

As a result, this measure, which sought to make drivers in this group take a clinical examination, has been put on ice for the time being. This means that drivers aged 65 can relax for now about their licence renewal period, according to lasexta.com.

The measure not only sought to shorten the licence renewal period but also to make the psycho-technical test more exhaustive. Modifying this aspect would allow the doctor conducting the test to have access to the person’s medical file.

Although it is true that the group of drivers over 65 years of age is not the one which records the most accidents, their age means that in the event of an accident, they could suffer more health problems.

Reflexes are not the same either in the older age groups, and the chances of suffering from illnesses are greater. As a result, the DGT sought to provide a more controlled situation for those groups of older drivers.

Now that the situation has been paralyzed until further notice, everything will depend on the result at the polls on July 23.

Should Pedro Sánchez be re-elected then the measure could be carried out, but, in the event that another party is elected, the situation could change once again.