Eye test rule for drivers aged 70 plus announced

Ministers plan a broad road safety reform including eye tests for older drivers and a lower drink drive limit.

Eye test rule targets drivers aged 70 plus

Ministers are drawing up a wide road safety strategy that would require an eye test for drivers aged over 70 every three years when renewing their licence. The package could also include a medical check for conditions such as dementia, a lower drink-drive limit for England and Wales, tougher penalties for uninsured drivers, and new rules that make seatbelt wearing more enforceable for both drivers and passengers. Roadside saliva tests for drug driving are among the ideas under consideration, along with measures to crack down on ghost plates and strengthen penalties for those who do not wear seatbelts. The plan, expected to be published in the autumn, would be the most far-reaching reform since the Road Safety Act of 2006 and comes as road deaths and serious injuries have begun to creep back up after years of decline.

The reform signals a shift toward preventive screening and stronger enforcement to curb rising casualties. It also tests the government’s ability to translate tougher rules into real-world safety gains, especially if funding and policing capacity lag behind ambitious timelines. Critics may worry about targeting older drivers or about pushing through reforms without clear budgets, while supporters argue that urgent action is needed to reverse troubling trends in drug driving and seatbelt non-compliance.

Highlights

Delivery will test capacity as much as policy ambition