Italy considered banning elderly people behind the wheel, but has just changed its mind

Italy has backed away from one of the most controversial points of the reform of its Traffic Code: the restrictions imposed on drivers over 85 years old. The draft of the new text provided for prohibiting this group from circulating on highways, limiting their movements to a radius of 100 kilometers from residence and subjecting them to zero tolerance for alcohol – and even contemplated a total ban on driving from that age.

Faced with the negative repercussions, the Ministry of Transport announced on Sunday that the measures were removed from the draft at the request of Minister Matteo Salvini. Instead, the government intends to adopt stricter medical evaluations for drivers over 85 years old, with individual examination of physical and mental capacity – so that age, by itself, does not serve as a criterion to prevent someone from driving.

Brussels bans age

cut The retreat is not just political. European Union Directive 2025/2205 determines that the suspension, revocation or restriction of the license must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis and never result in discrimination, “in particular on grounds of age”. The rule allows, however, countries to shorten the deadlines for renewing the license for those over 65 years old, making room for more frequent medical examinations.

The discussion is sensitive in a country with one of the oldest populations in Europe, where the car is usually the only alternative for locomotion outside large urban centers.

In Brazil, the rule is the validity of the CNH

Brazil has no age limit for driving and resolves the issue by the renewal period, a logic similar to what Italy is now pursuing. By Law 14.071/2020, the CNH is valid for ten years for those under 50 years old, five years for the 50 to 69 age group and three years from 70 onwards – with a physical and mental fitness exam at each renewal.

Outside the chapter on the elderly, the Italian reform maintains the tightening of the rules on cell phones. Drivers caught with the device in hand can pay up to 2,588 euros, about R$ 15,270, in case of recurrence, in addition to being without a license for one to three months. The proposal also extends the prohibition to pedestrians: crossing the street looking at the cell phone will result in a fine starting at 75 euros, something close to R$ 443, in response to the increase in pedestrian accidents involving distraction.

The text is not yet final. The sector’s associations have until September 13 to comment on the draft, and the Ministry of Transport will only then draft the final version, scheduled for mid-October.