Aug 11, 06:06 AM

UK Plans Eye Tests for Drivers Over 70 in Road-Safety Overhaul

The UK government is preparing the most extensive revision of road-safety rules in two decades, centred on mandatory eyesight checks for older motorists. Under draft proposals covering England and Wales, drivers aged 70 and above would have to pass a compulsory eye test every three years when renewing their licences; failure would lead to a driving ban. The measure follows a coroner’s finding that the current self-reporting system is “the laxest in Europe” after a series of fatal accidents involving drivers with poor vision. Ministers also plan to tighten the drink-drive limit from 35 to 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath—matching Scotland—and to introduce penalty points for passengers who forgo seatbelts. Allowing roadside saliva tests to serve as evidence in drug-driving cases and potential assessments for conditions such as dementia are being considered as part of a new Road Safety Strategy due this autumn. Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones said the package would ‘restore order to our roads’, while AA president Edmund King called compulsory eye tests a ‘small price to pay’ for safety, noting that older drivers remain comparatively safe but accidents spike among those over 80. The coroner’s report estimates that road deaths cost the National Health Service more than £2 billion annually.

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UK Plans Eye Tests for Drivers Over 70 in Road-Safety Overhaul

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