Motoring expert Luke Chillingsworth has outlined seven new driving laws he believes should be introduced on British roads, covering everything from mandatory eyesight tests for older drivers to making dashcams standard in all cars.
Andy Burnham has already made several updates to UK roads since taking office in Downing Street, with changes to electric car VAT rates and new cross-parking solution rules taking hold this October. Labour’s Road Safety Strategy has also looked at tightening rules, with updates to drink-driving rules and new seatbelt penalties among ideas being considered.
Mandatory eyesight tests for older drivers
Chillingsworth said he had been a fence-sitter on the argument around whether over-70s needed to face mandatory eyesight tests to stay on the road, until May when the Department for Transport's road casualty data showed that road deaths among older drivers were on the rise.
A total of 219 males over the age of 70 were killed on UK roads in 2025, 8% more than the figures from 2015. In the same metric, road deaths for 17 to 29-year-olds are down 24% over the past decade, with fatalities of those between 30 and 49 also down 17%. A total of 151 women over 70 were killed on the roads in 2025.
Dashcams and headlight restrictions
With a rise in "crash for cash" scams on UK roads, dashcams could be the last get-out-of-jail-free card road users have up their sleeves. The Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) investigated more than £25.3 million in suspected "crash for cash" fraud cases between 2020 and 2025.
Analysis from the RAC has found that more than half of drivers (57%) are dazzled by headlights on UK roads. Meanwhile, a quarter of respondents (25%) who admit to finding headlights too bright are either driving less or have given up altogether. Officials have previously stressed that headlight rules will be tightened, with new guidelines coming into force from September 2027, which is welcome progress, but it only applies to new vehicles.
Newly qualified drivers and ADAS tweaks
Campaigners have been demanding curfews and restrictions on newly qualified drivers in a new Graduated Licensing System. Younger drivers are disproportionately killed on UK roads, with as many as one in five road deaths among the 17-24 year olds. Restrictions on passengers for the first six months or a year should stop newly qualified road users from driving fast to show off to their mates.
Chillingsworth also suggested that Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) warnings should be standardised with chimes or exceeding a set level, maybe 3db over the current ambient cabin noise, and a one-touch mute button is also a must.
