In response to concern about the high mortality rate in road accidents, especially in people over 65 years of age, where 30% of fatalities in the European Union are from this age group, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has implemented significant changes in the validity periods of the driving license. Thus, among the measures taken, it is establishing medical restrictions for obtaining or renewing a driving license in Spain.
From the age of 65, the frequency of driving license renewal increases. The maximum validity periods are set at five years for car, motorcycle and motorcycle permits (AM, A1, A2, A, B), and three years for professional bus and truck permits (C, C1, D, D1, EC, EC1, ED, ED1).
María José Aparicio, representative of Road Education and Training of the DGT, highlighted the importance of periodically reviewing the health status of Spanish drivers, not only for this age group, but for everyone. In this sense, obtaining or renewing a driving license requires an optimal state of health, certified through medical and psychotechnical tests in approved centers.
The DGT has published a list of diseases that are considered incompatible with driving, covering various categories such as vascular, cardiac, psychiatric, neurological, endocrine, digestive, respiratory, oncological, chronic and degenerative.
Conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks, the presence of pacemakers, epilepsy and ischemic accidents are examples of pathologies that can hinder obtaining or renewing a driving license. The entity has also highlighted respiratory diseases such as sleep apnea and endocrine diseases such as insulin-dependent diabetes, among others.
The influence of certain medications on driving ability is also highlighted, since they can cause adverse effects such as drowsiness or dizziness. It is essential to keep in mind that the list of diseases and medical conditions is reviewed periodically with the primary objective of guaranteeing safety on Spanish roads and preventing possible accidents.
