Motorists in Great Britain aged over 70 could be banned from driving if they fail mandatory eye tests, under wide-ranging road safety reforms being prepared by the government.
The proposals, expected to form part of the UK’s first Road Safety Strategy in a decade, also include lowering England and Wales’s drink-driving limit to match Scotland’s stricter threshold, introducing penalty points for failing to wear a seatbelt, and expanding medical checks for conditions such as dementia.
The changes follow an inquest into four fatal crashes caused by drivers with deteriorating vision. Lancashire’s senior coroner, Dr James Adeley, branded Britain’s licensing system the “laxest in Europe” and urged ministers to tighten enforcement. The UK is one of only three European countries that relies on motorists to self-report visual impairments affecting their ability to drive.
Under the proposed rules, drivers over 70 would have to pass an eyesight test every three years when renewing their licence.
While motoring groups acknowledge older drivers are generally safe, AA president Edmund King called the measure “a small price to pay” for safety. Statistics show accident risks peak among both young motorists and drivers over 80, with more than 1,500 young drivers killed or seriously injured each year.
Other measures under consideration include allowing police to rely on roadside saliva tests, rather than blood samples, to prosecute drug-driving offences. The drink-drive limit in England and Wales could be cut from 35 to 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath — the same as Scotland’s, introduced in 2014.
A government source said the aim was to tackle the 1,600 annual road deaths that cost the NHS over £2 billion a year. “This Labour government will deliver tougher penalties, protect road users and restore order to our roads,” the source told the BBC.
The proposals have sparked debate among older drivers. Peter Browne, 73, from Great Yarmouth, who has glaucoma, told the BBC he had been unable to secure an NHS eye appointment despite reporting his condition to the DVLA. “If my eyesight wasn’t good enough, would it be my fault or the NHS’s?” he asked.
Campaigners say better testing could save lives. Former police officer Rob Heard, founder of the Older Drivers Forum, said he had attended over 300 fatalities during his career and backed compulsory vision checks for all ages.
The government’s consultation will run ahead of the strategy’s planned publication in the autumn, with ministers leaving the door open to further measures if road casualty numbers do not fall.
