The UK government is set to unveil its most significant road safety reforms in decades, with plans to introduce compulsory eye tests for older drivers and slash the legal alcohol limit for motorists in England and Wales.
Vision Checks and Cognitive Assessments for Older Drivers
Under the proposed new strategy, drivers aged 70 and over will be required to undergo a professional eye test every three years. This move ends the current system of self-reporting vision problems to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), a method heavily criticised in coroners' reports.
A report last year highlighted a 70% collapse in self-reporting for major eye conditions like glaucoma and cataracts between 2019 and 2023. Officials believe mandatory checks will improve safety without unduly restricting the freedom of older motorists, who represented 24% of all car drivers killed in 2024.
AA President Edmund King welcomed the focus on eyesight, noting crash likelihood increases after age 70 and peaks at age 86. "Eye tests are free for people over 60," he added, "and healthcare professionals advise them every two years anyway."
The government is also considering the future introduction of cognitive tests for older drivers, though more work is needed to define suitable assessments.
Stricter Drink-Drive and Seatbelt Laws
In a bid to tackle a worrying rise in drink-drive fatalities, the strategy includes a proposal to lower the legal limit in England and Wales. It would be reduced from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath to 22 micrograms, bringing it in line with Scotland.
This change means a single pint of beer could be enough to put a driver over the legal limit. The number of people killed in drink-driving incidents reached a 13-year high in 2022, prompting concerns that existing measures are failing.
Further measures in the plan include issuing penalty points to drivers and passengers who fail to wear seatbelts. The government also plans to double fines for uninsured drivers and is exploring the use of saliva tests for drug-driving to simplify prosecutions.
Ambitious Targets Amid Stubbornly High Casualty Figures
The overarching goal of the strategy is to reduce deaths and serious injuries on British roads by 65% by 2035, with a 70% target for children under 16. This ambition comes against a backdrop of persistently high casualty numbers.
In 2024, 1,633 people were killed and almost 28,000 were seriously injured in traffic incidents. Figures have remained relatively constant since 2010, following a significant fall in the previous decade.
A Labour source criticised the record of successive Conservative governments, stating: "In no other circumstance would we accept 1,600 people dying, with thousands more seriously injured, costing the NHS more than £2billion per year." The full strategy document is expected to be published imminently.
