Consultation: Amendments to Driving Licence Act to improve road safety for young people

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is inviting comments on a draft government proposal to amend the Driving Licence Act. The proposal aims to improve road safety for young people. Comments may be submitted until 14 December 2025.

The Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government sets the goal of having zero road fatalities in Finland by 2050. Although road safety has improved in recent years, achieving this target will require additional measures. These will focus particularly on young drivers, who are overrepresented in accident statistics.

Stricter conditions for 17-year-olds and a ban on night-time driving

The draft proposal would clarify and partly tighten the conditions under which a 17-year-old may obtain a passenger car driving licence with an exemption. The purpose is to ensure that exemptions to driving licences are granted only to meet a young person’s continuous and essential need for mobility, and to improve road safety.

Currently, an exemption can be granted if the young person has a regular need to travel, for example to leisure activities or studies. Under the proposal, the requirement would be tightened so that travel must occur at least four times a week. At present, there is no clear definition of regularity. The one-way distance would need to be at least seven kilometres on foot if public transport is unavailable, or the journey would take at least 90 minutes by public transport. Currently, the requirement is five kilometres or one hour. A parent or other person who has custody of the young person would confirm the information.

Supporting documents for the need to travel would be defined more precisely than at present. For example, a student could prove the need to travel with a certificate of attendance from the educational institution, and a working young person with an employment contract of at least two months. Currently, shorter contracts have been sufficient to obtain an exemption. For leisure activities, the need would be demonstrated with a certificate from a sports federation for competitive training or from an educational institution for attending basic education in the arts.

Finally, the young person must not be subject to a driving disqualification or a temporary disqualification, nor have been disqualified from driving in the past. Currently, an exemption can be granted despite a driving disqualification, but the young person may only take the driving test and obtain a licence after it has ended.

The proposal also includes a ban on night-time driving between midnight and 5.00 for 17-year-old drivers of vehicles requiring a passenger car licence. Breaching the ban could result in a fine and a driving disqualification. To enable monitoring, a 17-year-old driver would need to mark their vehicle with a special sign. Failure to display the sign could lead to a EUR 100 traffic penalty fee imposed by the police.

Expanded risk recognition training

The draft proposal would increase the requirements for mandatory risk recognition training for those obtaining a passenger car licence. The training would be extended by three theory lessons and one driving lesson.

Mandatory training for new drivers who have been disqualified from driving would be expanded to cover mopeds, light quadricycles and tractors, in addition to motorcycles and passenger cars. The requirement would also apply to drivers subject to a temporary disqualification by the police.

Candidates or interpreters found cheating in the theory test could be banned for six months from taking the test or acting as an interpreter for such tests. The Act would also include a provision allowing the use of interpreters in the test. Provisions on this matter are currently issued by a Finnish Transport and Communications Agency regulation.

The proposal would also remove the obligation to return expired driving licences to the authorities. In future, licence holders could destroy their licence themselves, saving costs. It would also allow certain licences issued by Traficom to be presented electronically. Finally, the Act would clarify that a driving disqualification or a temporary disqualification does not prevent a person from taking a new driving test if the police have ordered them to do so.

Launching a broader reform of the Driving Licence Act and the Road Safety Strategy

In autumn 2025, the Ministry will launch a second, broader and longer-term legislative project to implement the updated EU Driving Licence Directive nationally. The European Parliament approved the Directive in plenary session on 21 October 2025, alongside the new EU rules on driving disqualifications. The new rules will enter into force 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Member States will generally have four years to implement the rules nationally.

The aim of updating the Driving Licence Directive is to modernise driving licence regulation and improve road safety. The project will include comprehensive changes to the Driving Licence Act, such as introducing a digital driving licence (mobile licence) and revising the rules on driving rights for new drivers.

In autumn 2025, the Ministry of Transport and Communications will also launch a project to update the national Road Safety Strategy. According to the Strategy’s vision, by 2050 all modes of transport are so safe that no one will die or be seriously injured in traffic. The aim is to update the Strategy's action plan to improve road safety.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Finnish Road Safety Council are holding a Road Safety Forum on 30 October 2025 at 9.00–12.00. The Forum will discuss topical safety issues, with a special focus on intoxicant use and road traffic. The event, held in Finnish, will be opened by Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne and can be followed via the link below.

What’s next?

Comments on the draft government proposal may be submitted at lausuntopalvelu.fi until 14 December 2025. The Ministry of Transport and Communications will take the feedback from the public consultation into account as it continues the law drafting.

Inquiries:

Monika Mutanen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 342 204, monika.mutanen(at)gov.fi

Saara Louko, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 342 048, saara.louko(at)gov.fi

Kirsi Miettinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Legislative Affairs, tel. +358 295 342 570, kirsi.miettinen(at)gov.fi

Sofia Johansson, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 342 090, sofia.johansson(at)gov.fi (Road Safety Forum and Strategy)

Juuso Suomento, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 342 071, juuso.suomento(at)gov.fi (Road Safety Forum ja Strategy)