Ministers are also considering slashing the drink-drive limit, introducing tougher penalties for failing to wear a seatbelt, and cracking down harder on uninsured drivers In the biggest overhaul of UK driving laws in years.
People over the age of 70 could be banned if they fail eye tests (Image: Getty)
Older motorists could face mandatory eyesight checks – and lose their licence if they fail – under tough new road safety reforms aimed at cutting Britain’s stubbornly high death toll on the roads. In the biggest overhaul of UK driving laws in years, ministers are also considering slashing the drink-drive limit, introducing tougher penalties for failing to wear a seatbelt, and cracking down harder on uninsured drivers.
The package of measures, set to be unveiled in the autumn as part of a new road safety strategy, comes amid mounting alarm at the number of people being killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads – a figure that has barely budged in over a decade. Last year alone, 1,633 people lost their lives and almost 28,000 suffered life-changing injuries in crashes. The bill to the NHS runs to more than £2 billion a year.
Pensioners face driving tests every three years (Image: Getty)
A Labour source said: “At the end of the last Labour government, road deaths were at a record low. Since then, progress has stalled. In no other area would we tolerate 1,600 people dying every year.”
The reforms being considered by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander include cutting the legal alcohol limit for drivers in England and Wales from 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath to 22 – in line with Scotland and the rest of Europe. England and Wales currently have the highest limit in the EU, a position campaigners say is costing lives.
Drink-driving deaths have surged to a 13-year high, prompting ministers to admit that existing deterrents are no longer working.
Meanwhile, drug-driving is also on the rise, with police set to be given powers to prosecute offenders on the basis of roadside saliva tests rather than slower blood analysis.
The eyesight crackdown is expected to be one of the most contentious changes.
At present, the UK is one of only three countries in Europe that relies entirely on drivers self-reporting vision problems.
Under the new rules, motorists aged over 70 would face a compulsory eye test every three years. Anyone who fails would automatically lose their licence.
Ministers said: “This is about protecting every road user. With an ageing population, we cannot ignore the safety risks posed by deteriorating eyesight, especially on high-speed roads like motorways.”
Other proposed changes include:
- Heavier fines and penalty points for failing to wear a seatbelt.
- Steeper punishments for uninsured drivers.
- Stronger enforcement powers for police against dangerous and careless driving.
- A Labour spokesperson said: “This Labour Government will deliver the first road safety strategy in a decade, imposing tougher penalties on those breaking the law, protecting road users and restoring order to our roads.”
The proposals are expected to go out to public consultation later this year – but with casualty numbers stubbornly high and the UK lagging behind its European neighbours on key safety measures, ministers are under pressure to act fast.
The spokesperson added: “Every one of these deaths is preventable.
“We cannot keep accepting the same grim statistics year after year while the law stays stuck in the past.”
