The extension that allows extending the validity of expired driver’s licenses will continue to apply after being approved by Congress, despite the opposition of the Executive. The measure authorizes documents that are about to expire to remain valid until December 31, 2026, in a context marked by the collapse of municipal traffic directions.
The debate is reinstated due to the persistent difficulties that municipalities face in responding to the high demand for renovations, a situation that has been dragging on since the pandemic and that has not been resolved, even after the implementation of a digital system during 2025.
Why the collapse continues in traffic directions
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Municipalities continue to register bottlenecks in in-person care, currently required to renew a driver’s license in Chile. The procedure includes scheduling an appointment, presenting documents, taking medical and psychotechnical exams, paying the corresponding amount and waiting for the issuance of the new document, a process that users describe as slow and cumbersome.
This situation motivated public criticism, such as the letter titled “Extension that legalizes the collapse”, sent to El Mercurio by Alejandro Lizana, who questioned the structural origin of the problem. In the text he pointed out that “The extension in the renewal of driver’s licenses cannot continue to be attributed to the pandemic. It is the consequence of a poorly designed system, based on mistrust and obsolete administrative logic”.
He added that “in Chile, the renewal requires standardized in-person exams for all drivers, forcing them to repeatedly demonstrate already accredited skills, without distinguishing between those who maintain impeccable road conduct and those who do have a risk history”which, in his opinion, generates permanent saturation of the system.
Are there alternatives applied in other countries?
The debate has also focused on international experiences where license renewal is carried out remotely, as long as there are no relevant alerts. Countries such as Sweden, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Netherlands, as well as some regions of Australia, Canada and the United States, allow the document to be renewed online if the driver has no serious violations, medical problems or history that requires additional evaluation.
In these cases, in-person exams are applied only when risk factors exist. On this point, Lizana maintained that “international experience shows that there is a reasonable alternative: separating administrative renewal from the reevaluation of competencies”emphasizing that “in modern systems, the license is renewed remotely unless there are objective alerts”.
What risks do experts warn about the extension?
From the Automobile Club of Chile, its general manager Carlos Larravide harshly questioned the extension approved by Congress, describing it as “a decision devoid of any logic”. In his opinion, “A new extension of the validity of driver’s licenses was approved, despite knowing the devastating consequences that this measure generated in the past”warning that the administrative imbalance could last for several years.
Larravide stressed that “These controls are not a simple bureaucratic procedure”, since they allow the cognitive, psychological and motor conditions necessary to drive to be certified. Along these lines, he stated that opting for quick administrative solutions “represents an unacceptable sign of political negligence”.
Is automatic renewal viable in Chile?
Road safety specialist Alberto Escobar explained that in countries like Germany the license does not expire, but there is permanent control of the driver. As detailed, “each activity associated with mobility is permanently monitored by the State”which allows effective and continuous supervision.
Escobar warned that Chile does not have that level of institutional integration or information exchange, pointing out that “applying a similar measure would be risky.”as it could mean decades without formal driver evaluation.
A similar position was expressed by Álvaro Miranda, director of the Transportation and Logistics Program at UTEM, who pointed out that automatic renewal “could be a contribution, but we are far away.” In his opinion, immediate solutions should focus on short and medium-term measures, such as outsourcing medical and psychosensometric examinations to certified centers, allowing municipalities to concentrate on the administrative process.
Miranda concluded that automation “It’s a good idea, but we can’t implement it today.”emphasizing that it is first necessary to build integrated databases and information systems that currently do not exist.
