Medical checks for older drivers is not a new idea in France – a similar proposal was tabled in 2023, but was not considered.
Now, France's parliament is taking up the issue again, following an agreement by the European Parliament and EU Member States to develop and unify rules for driving licences by 2030.
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The EU plans allow for a medical examination to be required to obtain a licence, but also that each Member State could choose between a mandatory medical examination or a form of self-assessment.
Here’s where we’re at in France right now.
What does the French bill say?
The bill, signed by a cross-party group of 85 MPs, “aims to strengthen road accident prevention” by making obtaining a driving license and renewing it, every 15 years, conditional on a medical check-up, bringing France into line with EU plans.
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The duration between each medical check-up will fall to five years when the driver is aged 70 or over, the bill proposes.
“Drivers’ health plays a decisive role in their ability to drive safely, regardless of their age,” it reads. “Disorders such as visual, hearing, and cognitive impairments, or chronic illnesses can impair the abilities needed for safe driving and warrant the implementation of preventive measures.”
What is the law currently in France for older motorists?
There are currently no age restrictions on driving in France, with medical tests recommended rather than mandatory.
In fact, the French Code de la Route, which was revised in March 2025, maintains the principle of a valid licence for life for anyone who has passed their driving test.
However, the local Préfet can order a medical examination of an older driver if they feel there are grounds for concern over their driving – such orders tend to be imposed following a road collision involving an older driver.
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Following a medical, if an older driver is deemed unfit get behind the wheel, a number of follow-up steps are available: temporary suspension of the licence, increased medical monitoring or participation in refresher courses.
Since 2024, free courses for seniors have included reflex tests and simulations of risky situations. This approach aims to preserve road safety while respecting the autonomy of older drivers.
How popular is the idea?
In 2021, a poll conducted by Dekra for RTL radio showed that 75 percent of people in France supported the idea of regular compulsory medical examinations for drivers over the age of 65 – including 58 percent of over 65s themselves.
But an Ipsos study for the Vinci Autoroutes Foundation last month found that 51 percent of drivers aged 65 or more would refuse to take a medical to prove their fitness to drive.
Perhaps more importantly, 91 percent of older motorists said that being able to drive was ‘essential’ for their daily lives.
Only 33 percent of seniors were in favour of medical checks that could lead to a driving ban if they failed.
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One anonymous older motorist insisted: “This is yet another discriminatory measure in an increasingly gerontophobic society.”
And drivers’ association 40 Million Motorists said in a press statement: “This bill calls into question a fundamental principle: the lifetime drivers’ licence.
“Today, the latter is essential for many citizens in their daily lives to meet their mobility needs, particularly in areas where public transport and cycling are not suitable solutions.”
Are older French drivers particularly bad at driving?
Quite the opposite. Drivers aged 65 and older caused around 10 percent of fatal accidents on French roads in 2021 – half the number of fatalities caused by motorists in the 18 to 24 age group, according to data from the national road safety body.
Last year, 531 people aged between 18 and 24 died on France’s roads, compared to 364 people aged between 65 and 74, and 340 aged between 75 and 84.
According to the recent Ipsos study, 93 percent of over-65s continue to drive regularly, but 81 percent of respondents said they take additional precautions, and 78 percent said they were less likely to drive at night.
What do doctors say?
Arnaud Gaunelle, a GP in Lormont, told regional newspaper Sud Ouest that introducing mandatory medicals for older drivers would be “not at all shocking”.
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“To drive, you need a certain capacity for strength, balance, and vision,” Dr Gaunelle said. “The difficulty comes from the accumulation of things that we can lose with age: seeing a little less well, having a little less strength, balance, reflexes, ability to anticipate... All of this can lead to difficulty behind the wheel.”
He questioned, however, whether GPs would be able to handle the additional pressure of medical tests for older drivers.
“The car is a question of survival in certain areas, particularly in rural areas. Stopping driving reduces the ability to move around, to have contacts; it restricts the circle of activities, of outings. It would isolate some elderly people even more, and that's a problem,” Gaunelle told Sud Ouest.
What about elsewhere – what are the rules for older drivers outside France?
In the European Union, 14 countries, including Portugal, Spain, Denmark, and Italy, have already introduced mandatory medical check-ups for motorists.
In Portugal, medical checks are carried out every 10 years from the age of 40, then every two years from the age of 75.
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In the UK, drivers are required to renew their licence once they hit the age of 70.
Meanwhile, EU rules relating to the validity of driving licences have been reviewed, particularly for senior drivers.
What does the EU review say about older drivers and medical checks?
The reform provides for the introduction of mandatory medical examinations before a new motorist can hold their first licence. Checks would include an eye exam and a cardiovascular assessment.
The validity period of the driving licence before renewal – confirmed by a medical check – will be harmonised across Europe depending on the type of vehicle:
- 15 years for cars and motorcycles;
- Five years for trucks and buses,
Member States can reduce the period for cars and motorcycles to 10 years if the permit also serves as a national identity document.
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It also includes the possibility for Member States to reduce the validity period of driving licences for motorists aged 65 and over. This measure aims to take into account changes in physical, motor, visual, auditory and cognitive abilities linked to age.
It will be up to each country to decide whether a medical check will be required for licence renewals, or if an alternative method of assessment will suffice.
Governments would then have four years to transpose these new provisions into their national legislation and prepare for their implementation.
When would any law come into effect in France
How long is a piece of string? The wheels of legislation turn slowly in France, and it seems there’s plenty of ‘grey voter’ opposition to the proposals.
That said, the EU’s 2030-2034 deadline hangs over everything like the steering column of Damocles. But even after agreement EU regulations are subject to delays – just look at ongoing slow-walk of the ETIAS visa waiver for non-EU travellers.
And, when EU rules do come into effect, they may be delayed at national level – as France managed to do with its efforts to long-finger roadworthiness tests for two-wheeled vehicles.
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