Category B driving licences at 17 and more targeted fines: what could change in the new Highway Code?

The consultation phase is open and will conclude on September 13th, when the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport will receive comments from all industry associations and draft the final text of the new Highway Code, which will be approved by the Government by October 14th.

The proposed changes, which are subject to further modification, are numerous. A substantial portion concerns the chapter on penalties, but there are also different rules for issuing licenses, for speed cameras, and for road traffic offenses. Let’s look at them in detail.

License and E-Bikes

One of the most anticipated changes concerns the lowering of the age limit for obtaining a driving license. The B category, required for driving cars, will be issued at age 17. And the new text includes a specific category for e-bikes. They will be called “electric bikes,” and riding them on the road will require a helmet. For pedal-assisted or motor-assisted bicycles, helmets will be mandatory only for those under 14. The reform also dedicates a chapter to road traffic offenses. In the news, the Code includes illegal competitions, illegal parking, license plate alteration, evading a traffic stop or forcing a checkpoint, as well as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. These offenses will result in a penalty deduction from 1 to 10 points depending on the severity of the offense, up to and including license suspension.

Revision of Penalties

All penalties are being revised, with a fundamental rule eliminating the automatic increase in fines every two years. Increased fines will be imposed for violations involving more serious circumstances, such as newly licensed drivers, heavy vehicles, vulnerable users, and impaired mental and physical conditions. Fines will also be reduced for speeding, even in more serious situations. In any case, the proceeds will be allocated entirely to road safety. A “driving ban” is also being introduced, replacing the license suspension: there will no longer be a minimum or maximum duration, and the prefect will no longer be the one to decide; everything will be automatic and immediate.

Speed, points, and fines

The main fines will be reduced from 82 to 21 and rounded up by 5 or 10 euros. The 30% discount for those who pay within five days is confirmed. Speeding will be subject to progressive and proportional penalties. For example, on the highway, 10 euros will be paid for each additional km/h; in cities, 5 or 10 euros, depending on the severity of the violation, will be applied for each additional km/h.

Appeals and Traffic Police Auxiliary

The same concept of progressiveness and proportionality will apply, again with regard to speed, to the duration of the driving ban (which will be applied beyond 20 km/h on the highway and beyond 40 km/h in the city) and to the points: the deduction will be 4, 6, or 8 points depending on the severity of the violation. There are also changes regarding the costs that increase the fines subsequently sent to the car owner, which cannot contain the costs of investigation, legal assistance, and debt collection. These items used to dramatically increase the fine.

The thresholds for determining drunk driving remain unchanged, and the deadlines for appealing to the Justice of the Peace (30 days) or Prefect (60 days) remain unchanged. The role of traffic police assistant is also being introduced, who will be able to regulate traffic in cases of road congestion, in the absence of traffic lights, and will be able to intervene to detect accidents involving property damage on urban or secondary extra-urban roads.