Drivers over 70 face being banned from the road if they fail mandatory eyesight tests, under Government plans being drawn up to improve road safety.
Ministers will now consult on introducing compulsory eye tests for motorists in England and Wales over the age of 70, when people are required to renew their licence every three years.
Officials will also look at possible options for introducing cognitive tests for older drivers, although insiders were eager to stress that such plans were still at an early stage and are not due to be consulted on.
Ministers are understood to want to understand what types of tests could work to ascertain a person’s cognitive ability, before deciding on how regularly such tests should be required. Current assessments include “table top” memory and reading tests.
Under existing rules, people with dementia are asked to self-report their condition to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which then makes a decision on whether or not to grant a licence based on medical records and a questionnaire. They may also have to take an assessment.
First upgrade to road safety in more than a decade
The shake-up comes as part of a major upgrade to the Road Safety Strategy, the first of its kind in more than a decade, which ministers hope will cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on the road by 65 per cent by 2035 and by 70 per cent for children under 16.
It follows a senior coroner’s report last year that warned Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander legal eyesight standards for older drivers were “ineffective and unsafe” after the deaths of four people by drivers with failing eyesight.
It also found there had been a decline in drivers self-reporting medical conditions to the authorities between 2019 and 2023, demanding tougher action be taken from the Government.
HM senior coroner for Lancashire Dr James Adeley warned that in the case of a death caused by a driver with “mild to moderate” dementia, the motorist had gone to A&E on two separate occasions before the incident displaying symptoms of cognitive decline but continued to drive.
The report stated: “Dementia affects approximately half a million sufferers in the United Kingdom of which the DVLA has only been notified of approximately 30,000 drivers. It would appear that there is significant underreporting of drivers who may suffer from dementia.”
Quarter of drivers killed in 2024 over the age of 70
According to the Department for Transport, around a quarter – 24 per cent – of all drivers killed in 2024 were over the age of 70, with 12 per cent of all casualties.
The UK is currently only one of three European countries that relies entirely on self-reported visual capabilities that may affect a person’s ability to drive.
Minister for local transport, Lilian Greenwood, said: “We know driving can be very important for older people’s well-being and help them to live independently, but we must also make sure everyone is safe on our roads.
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“As the country’s older population grows, our plans in the first Road Safety Strategy in more than a decade, will preserve personal freedoms where possible with action to save lives.”
Ministers will also introduce tougher fines for people driving without insurance, increasing fixed penalty notices from £300 to £600, while also increasing the number of penalty points on a person’s licence.
It is hoped the plans could have an impact on the cost of living crisis, as the suspected 300,000 drivers on the roads without insurance can push up the cost of car insurance premiums for all other motorists.
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