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A new French bill is calling for compulsory medical check-ups for all drivers every 15 years, reduced to every five years for drivers over the age of 70. 

The cross-party bill, tabled in parliament on April 1, would require these check-ups in order for drivers to obtain or renew their licence. 

A GP or specialist would test the driver鈥檚 cognitive and physical health and issue a certificate confirming they are fit to drive. The bill notes that visual and hearing problems, as well as chronic illnesses, can worsen with age. 

Read more: What new licence rules are set to change for older drivers in France

Supporters say it will improve road safety.

"France is one of the few European countries not to require periodic medical check-ups for its drivers," the bill said. 

More than 14 European countries currently have medical measures related to driving. 

The bill was tabled by Fr茅d茅ric Valletoux, a former health minister, and signed by around a hundred MPs from various political groups.

Polling shows public support for the issue 鈥� an Ifop survey in February 2024 found 59% of people are in favour of medical check-ups, particularly for seniors. 

The bill still needs to be examined by MPs, but drivers鈥� associations have already expressed their opposition. 

鈥淲e do not support a medical examination regardless of age, particularly for seniors,鈥� said Yves Carra, spokesperson for motorists鈥� association Mobilit茅 Club France. 

鈥淪eniors are more victims than perpetrators of accidents, and they are the age group that causes the fewest accidents.鈥�

He said removing the ability to travel by car for some older people who live in areas not served by public transport could 鈥渄isrupt their lives and quickly send them to a nursing home鈥�. 

Similar schemes rolled out in other European countries had not reduced mortality rates, he added. 

Mobilit茅 Club France instead suggests more regular monitoring of older drivers, for example through its free 鈥樷��. Held in person and remotely, they aim to help seniors who start to feel less comfortable behind the wheel. 

Another motorists鈥� association, 40 millions Automobilistes, has launched a against the bill, calling it 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� and 鈥渋ll-advised鈥�. 

The measure 鈥渨ould call into question a fundamental principle: a lifetime driving licence鈥�, it said in a statement.

鈥淏ecause today, this permit is much more than just an administrative document: it's an essential tool for getting around, going to work, seeing family, and simply living freely.鈥�

It noted that systems already exist to monitor drivers whose health may be problematic, and highlighted the potential costs of implementing the scheme. 

Read more: Report older drivers who are potentially dangerous, prompts French prefect

鈥淲hy impose an additional, costly, and unnecessary restriction on all motorists?鈥�

EU changes

The French bill comes as the EU prepares to change its on driving licences. The European Parliament and member states agreed to amend driving licence regulations in March. 

From 2030, it will now require a medical examination before obtaining a licence, but each member state will be able to choose whether to request a mandatory medical examination or a driver self-assessment system. 

The European Parliament and Council will now formally adopt the directive, which will come into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU. Member states will have four years to adopt the directive into national legislation. 

UK licences

Drivers who have UK licences issued before January 1, 2021 can  using them for the period in which they are valid. UK law  licence renewal every three years after the age of 70. 

Once your UK driving licence expires, or has less than six months remaining, you must exchange it for a French licence. You do not need to take another driving test.

Reader feedback on compulsory health checks for older drivers

Many readers contacted The Connexion on this topic 鈥� here is a selection:

• It could provoke so much anxiety in  a country like France where so many in the countryside rely on driving to get around. They may be tempted to sell up and move to a town that they cannot afford to live in. LL
• Good idea, especially these days where some over-70s are driving modern cars that are far more powerful than in the past. AH
• Agree with 75 and 80, then every two years. CH
• Good idea (though 70 seems a bit young), provided the health service has the resources to manage it. CD
• I am now into my 86th year. According to my family, I drive like a grandad, but I drive within speed limits and look for idiot drivers to avoid. I do not have accidents and do not get involved with causing any. I will make my own decision when it is right to stop driving my car, quad and camping car. BC
• Over 70 here. Great idea. My mother nearly killed herself when she should no longer have been driving. DV
• I am a doctor and I am also married to a 79-year-old. I am firmly in favour of laws requiring actual 鈥渞etesting鈥� over 70s. To have them simply medically tested would require a comprehensive assessment in order to prove driving competency. Checking eyesight via a chart is insufficient and inappropriate. RTA
• I鈥檇 be happy with that. A friend was recently knocked off his bike by an older driver turning, who didn鈥檛 see him. If you are fit enough to pass a medical, you have nothing to fear. LMK
• Having just received my new French licence and aged 70, I will be a tad cross if I have to faff around with a health check? DZ
• I cannot see why anyone would object to this. It is an indisputable fact that as you get  older you are more likely to suffer from a medical condition or a general loss of physical and mental capacity that would affect the ability to drive safely. CG 
• Not frequent enough to catch the onset of dementia in isolated elderly folk, in my opinion. RV
• Considering the largest percentage of accidents are caused by young drivers, I don鈥檛 see why seniors should be especially picked out. CF

A study by motoring site Autoplus found younger drivers, particularly those aged 18-20, were at fault in 70% of accidents they were involved in, compared to 60% for 65-74-year-olds, and 76.7% for over-75s. Separate data shows that in 2024, some 531 18-24-year-olds were killed on France鈥檚 roads and just over 500 over-75s were killed, according to France鈥檚 National Road Safety Observatory.