The Future Of Drivers Education Event
The Future of Driver Education conference took place on Friday 20th October at O2 Univers in Prague. A decidedly large participation, with more than 600 members glued to their seats for the whole day (from 9am to 5pm). Attention to what happens on Czech roads is a collective interest and has also seen the participation of multiple stakeholders involved in the field of road safety.
But the event that left its mark the most was the active participation of the Minister of Transport, Martin Kupka, for the entire duration of the event.
In the Czech Republic, from 1st January 2024 many important innovations will be introduced for the driving education sector. Minister Kupka wanted to make them public and directly explain the reasons for the choices made.
The queen of the day was certainly the introduction of the L17 system, i.e. the possibility of getting a driving licence at the age of seventeen, following the German model and other pioneer countries in this field, such as Austria.
The conference also included a rich collateral program, a round table with the authors of the legislative norms, with the opportunity to experience the near and distant future of the entire driver education system in the Czech Republic, and abroad.
Indeed, other innovations found space throughout the day, such as increases in the number of questions in exam tests and in the ministerial list.
To this end, the participation of EFA, the European federation of driving schools, was requested to highlight the possible systems to create greater awareness among young people who intend to obtain a driving licence.
The current possible solutions may be: increase the number of questions in exam tests; increase the number of questions in the list; do not make the list public or provide certified quality training that could also replace part of the theoretical exam.
In addition to these fundamental innovations, there are also changes to the demerit points system and to the serious fines. Ultimately, the Minister of Transport Martin Kupka presented significant innovations in the field of driver education and demonstrated that he is close to a category of professionals, as he defined, “underestimated, who have not been socially granted the role that they it is up to.” But for the moment the message delivered, and received by all the participants, was that when you have a single objective, the reduction of accidents, good results can only be achieved together. And this was the work carried out by the Ministry, the Motor Vehicle Authority and the driving school trade association. Congratulations to all the protagonists and may the Czech model be exported throughout Europe.
Watch the video there:
ANIECA Event on 27th and 28th Oct
ANIECA held its XVII International Congress in Lisbon, on 28.10.2023, under the theme “Valuing driving schools”. This event’s main goal was to demonstrate the importance of professional and structured education models to a safer road environment and featured the participation of the speakers Khalid Al Shemeili (CEO of Emirates Driving), Pat Delaney (President of CIECA), Gianluca Di Fumeri (University of Rome), Ignácio Lijarcio (University of Valencia) and Pedro Silva (Member of the IMT Board of Directors), to whom we are very grateful.
It has been demonstrated that the education provided by driving schools is one of the most important active safety elements for reducing accidents and must considered as a fundamental part of all strategic decisions that may be taken by public, national and community institutions, with responsibility for definition of road safety policies.
It was highlighted that without the support of driving schools it will be very hard to achieve the community objective of “Vision Zero” and highlighted the investment that driving schools have been making to adapt their resources to the challenges of preparing a whole new generation of drivers to the demands of using vehicles equipped with new technologies such as ADAS.
A very special thanks to:
– Dr. Stefan Ebner, vice president of EFA, for the excellent work of moderating the full event;
– Dr. Manuel Picardi, General Secretary of EFA, for the vision presented on education in Europe and for the explanation made about the changes that the European Commission intends to make to the Driving License Directive;
– Prof. João Jesus Caetano, president of IMT, for his presence and opening words;
– Dr. Susana Paulino, Vice-President of CIECA and Director of Training and Certification Services at IMT;
– Dr. Lurdes Bernardo, Head of the Driver Qualification Department at IMT, to Dr. Margarida Gariso, Regional Director of IMT Norte, Dr. Vitor Palhôco, Regional Director of IMT Alentejo and the other distinguished members of IMT for their presence.
EFA at DG Move as Expert 3rd Oct
EFA has been invited to participate in the Driving Licenses Committee on 3rd October 2023
Very interesting meeting which took stock of the current situation of the proposal for the new driving licence directive.
After the adoption of the Minutes of the previous meeting (25th October 2022), the Agenda included a particular section on the exchange of EU driving licences, analysing the procedures and best practices in place in Member States.
As expected, the Revision of the Directive (COM(2023) 127 final) was subsequently discussed, i.e. the state of play of discussion in the Council and the European Parliament. In conclusion, it has been discussed one of the most current and discussed topics of the proposed directive: Medical fitness, especially the self-assessment of the requirements for those who already hold a driving license.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on the 16th of November
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is a day of remembrance, reflection and awareness that is commemorated worldwide. This special day, which takes place every year on the third Sunday in November, pays tribute to all those who have lost their lives or suffered serious and irreversible damage to their health and to their surviving families in road crashes. Every year in Europe, thousands of people are injured with permanent consequences and many others lose their lives in road crashes. We remember and honour those who must learn to “live with the impact” of a road crashes. The emotional burden borne by victims and their families is often silent but overwhelming.
ERSC 2023 Excellence in Road Safety award winners announced
The event was a great success. The European Road Safety Charter members came together to celebrate the hard work and success of all his members across Europe – saving lives and innovating to make EU roads safer. This year, ERSC had five award categories – – fitness to drive, reduced mobility, data, e-commerce, and urban road safety. And the people’s choice Jacques Barrot Award. To find out who won, visit the link below.
Road safety: 20,640 people died in a road crash last year – progress remains too slow
The 20,640 deaths on EU roads last year represented a 4% increase in relation to 2021, as traffic levels recovered after the pandemic.
While the underlying long-term trend is downward (-9% compared to pre-pandemic year), it is not decreasing at a fast enough pace to reach the EU target of halving the number of deaths by 2030. Furthermore, progress continues to be very uneven between Member States. Lithuania and Poland reported the largest decreases, of more than 30%, between 2019 and 2022, although the fatality rate in Poland still remains above the EU average. By contrast, over the last three years, the number of road deaths in Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Sweden has remained stable or has risen.
EU-Funded Road Safety Exchange Project Expands to 19 Countries, Wins Prestigious Prince Michael Road Safety Award
The groundbreaking EU-funded Road Safety Exchange project, celebrated as a catalyst for life-saving initiatives across Europe, is poised for expansion, encompassing 19 countries in its mission to fast-track road safety improvements. Today, against the backdrop of the successes of the three-year pilot project, including the adoption of Dutch-inspired cycling infrastructure improvements in Lithuania, harmonised day and nighttime urban speed limits in Poland, and the announcement of robust national road safety strategies in Greece and Portugal, this transformative project embarks on its second phase with an inaugural event in Brussels.
ETSC Professional Licence training required
ETSC, together with pedestrian, cyclist and transport workers groups have penned an open letter to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The letter addresses the upcoming revision of the EU Driving Licence Directive (2006/126) and emphasises the need for additional professional training for van drivers, similar to the requirements imposed on bus and coach drivers.
