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UK Government Plans to Introduce This New Mandatory Driving Rule for Anyone over 70
The UK aims to cut road deaths by 65% by 2035 with new safety measures after 24% of driver fatalities involved those over 70, officials said.
- The UK Government is consulting on mandatory eyesight tests for drivers aged over 70 in a road safety strategy to be published on January 7, 2026, requiring pensioners renewing licences at 70 to supply evidence.
- Rising fatality figures among drivers aged 70 or older, who accounted for about 24% of car driver deaths in 2024, prompted the review, alongside a report last year to Heidi Alexander, UK transport secretary, from HM Senior Coroner for Lancashire Dr James Adeley.
- Dr Stephen Hannan of Optical Express warned age-related sight changes like contrast sensitivity and peripheral vision decline often start before 70; free tests for people over 60 and routine two-year eye checks support early detection.
- Officials say the move aims to improve safety without unduly restricting mobility, with drivers failing eyesight standards facing licence revocation and DVSA re-tests, as Dr James Adeley highlighted limits of self-reporting.
- With nearly six million over-70s on UK roads, the first UK road safety strategy in more than 10 years includes proposed changes: lower drink-drive limit and six-month learner delay, mooted over recent months.
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Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution93% Center
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C 93%
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