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Government plans new driving rule for over-70s
Ministers aim to cut road deaths by 65% by 2035 with new tests for drivers over 70 after dementia and eyesight underreporting concerns were raised by a senior coroner.
- On Wednesday, ministers will consult on compulsory eye tests for motorists in England and Wales over 70 tied to three-year licence renewals as part of the Road Safety Strategy.
- Last year, a senior coroner's report warned Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander that legal eyesight standards were ineffective after four deaths, prompting the first Road Safety Strategy in more than a decade.
- Department for Transport data shows the road deaths and serious injuries targets aim for a 65% cut by 2035 and about 24% of car drivers killed in 2024 were 70 or older.
- Tougher fines aim to target uninsured drivers, with fixed penalty notices rising from £300 to £600, and increased penalty points on licences, officials say.
- Officials say cognitive assessments for older drivers remain at an early stage amid underreporting of dementia figures: approximately half a million sufferers versus DVLA notification of approx 30,000 drivers, while the UK is one of three European countries relying on self-reporting.
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Leaning Left3Leaning Right2Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
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C 62%
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