Elderly motorists above the age of 75 could be affected by new rules proposals being outlined by campaigners.
Experts have called on changes to upcoming older driving rules (Image: Getty)
Older drivers face major rules changes in 2026 but campaigners have called on Labour to look at a new plan. Elderly motorists above 75 could be targeted under new older driver proposals outlined by leading experts.
Labour is looking to introduce mandatory eyesight testing rules for anyone above the age of 70, with the new proposals currently going through a Government consultation. However, Age UK has called for urgent changes, demanding that the minimum age at which motorists face eye checks should be 75 instead.
Mandatory eyesight tests for older drivers are being considered (Image: Getty)
They claimed increasing the cut-off to 75 would be a more “balanced” approach to new rules, blasting the current plan as “disproportionately negative”.
Earlier this month, Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK outlined the idea, stressing that the “overwhelming majority” of older drivers took road safety seriously.
Caroline explained: “When a previous Department of Transport supported Older Drivers Taskforce looked at these issues in detail, they also recommended a move away from self-certification, but they coupled it with a proposal to raise the age at which you have to renew your licence to age 75.
“They took this view on the basis of the evidence, pointing out that the age of 70 was chosen quite arbitrarily in 1971 when life expectancy was 68 for men and 72 for women. Both have of course since increased quite substantially and vehicles are also safer than they were all those years ago.
“Age UK believes that requiring evidence from an eye test, together with raising the age at which this is required to age 75, would be a balanced, evidence based approach, but to do the first without the second feels disproportionately negative so far as older drivers are concerned, the overwhelming majority of whom take very seriously their responsibility to be safe on the road.”
The Department for Transport is looking into eyesight checks at 70, with road users likely having to show “proof” they attended sight tests to renew their licence.
The DfT said eyesight and visual acuity often occur gradually, sometimes without a person even noticing. The current DfT consultation runs until 31 March 2026, with officials likely to draft up any rule changes soon after.
