Drivers in the UK over 70 could soon face mandatory eyesight checks every three years under new government road safety proposals aimed at reducing fatalities on Britain’s roads. The measures, expected to be included in the upcoming road safety strategy, would mark the first major overhaul of driving laws in a decade.
The reforms come after a coroner condemned the UK’s licensing system as the “laxest in Europe” following an inquest into four deaths caused by drivers with poor eyesight. HM senior coroner for Lancashire, Dr James Adeley, said enforcement of visual standards was “ineffective and unsafe” and urged urgent action.
Currently, drivers over 70 must renew their licence every three years but are only required to self-report eyesight issues, excluding common conditions like short- or long-sightedness. Unlike the rest of Europe, the UK imposes no medical or vision checks before 70.
The Department for Transport recorded 1,633 road deaths last year, a 1% rise. A government source said the Labour administration will deliver a comprehensive road safety strategy to “restore order to our roads,” potentially including tougher drink-driving rules. Proposals under consideration include lowering the alcohol limit in England and Wales from 35 microgrammes to 22 microgrammes per 100ml of breath, bringing it into line with Scotland and most of Europe.
Experts caution that reducing the limit alone may not curb reoffending, with the RAC calling for alcolocks in vehicles used by habitual offenders. Other measures could see police prosecuting drug-driving cases using roadside saliva tests rather than blood samples.
Fleet industry leaders also welcomed the prospect of stricter drink-driving limits and eyesight testing, noting it would reduce risks for commercial drivers. Paul Hollick, chair of the Association of Fleet Professionals, said the proposals would close “dangerous grey areas” where drivers attempt to calculate safe alcohol intake, while giving fleets stronger grounds to enforce safety checks on older drivers.
