The state of Thuringia (a region in Germany) has revoked the driving licenses of 739 people for medical reasons that make driving dangerous, the country's Interior Ministry announced. Each decision is based on medical reports confirming physical or mental impairments, such as eye diseases, diseases of the nervous system, age-related diagnoses, or chronic diseases with clearly expressed symptoms.
The revocation of rights is regulated by Section 11 of the Driving Licence Rules, which lists diseases that exclude or limit the ability to drive. When such diagnoses are established, medical workers are obliged to initiate an examination. If the driver is found to be unfit, the driving license is revoked temporarily or indefinitely – depending on the forecast.
Truck and bus drivers have stricter rules: their licenses are issued for a limited period and require mandatory renewal of medical certificates at each renewal. Many of the cancellations are related to these routine checks.
The situation in Thuringia has revived the debate on introducing regular medical examinations for older drivers across Europe. Politicians propose voluntary checks for early detection of risks, but automobile associations (such as ADAC) are against general age limits, emphasizing that an individual approach is important.
Germany is not the only country tightening control over the health of drivers. For example, in Bulgaria, starting in 2027, driving licenses are planned to be automatically revoked if contraindications are identified through a unified database of the Ministry of Health. However, the German system still maintains an emphasis on medical assessment, avoiding the automatism that critics call potentially corrupt.
Overall, aging populations and increasing traffic in Europe's cities are increasing the urgency of this issue. Experts note that balancing safety and citizens' rights will remain a key challenge for transport policy.