Motorists aged 70 and over could be hit with a driving ban if they fail to attend a new compulsory eye test, according to government proposals aimed at improving road safety.
Government Proposes Stricter Vision Checks
The plans, which were first revealed earlier this year, are a response to growing concern about the impact of failing eyesight among older drivers. The proposed law would require drivers to pass an eye test every three years when renewing their licence. Failure to attend the test would result in a ban from driving.
A source within the Labour Party, which is behind the new strategy, highlighted the urgent need for action. They pointed out that road death and serious injury figures have remained unacceptably high. "In no other circumstance would we accept 1,600 people dying, with thousands more seriously injured, costing the NHS more than £2bn a year," the source stated.
A "Significant Step Change" in Road Safety
Optometrist and former Chairman of the Association of Optometrists, Professor Julie-Anne Little, has welcomed the move. She described it as a "significant step change" in the Department for Transport's approach.
"It shows a commitment to updating a system that has been out of step with the rest of Europe in terms of vision standards for driving," Professor Little said. She explained that many age-related eye conditions develop gradually, meaning individuals may not notice their own deteriorating vision.
"I think that we will invariably catch and detect ocular conditions in a number of people who wouldn't have otherwise presented for an eye test, despite the NHS provision for free sight tests for all people over 60 years," she added.
Restoring Order to Britain's Roads
The Labour source confirmed that the government intends to deliver the first comprehensive road safety strategy in a decade. This will include tougher penalties for law-breakers and measures designed to protect all road users.
"At the end of the last Labour government, the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads was at a record low, but numbers have remained stubbornly high under successive Conservative governments," the source commented. "This Labour government will deliver the first road safety strategy in a decade, imposing tougher penalties on those breaking the law, protecting road users and restoring order to our roads."
Opticare, a leading eye care provider, summarised the potential impact: "The UK is set to introduce a new law where motorists over the age of 70 could be banned from driving if they fail to attend for a compulsory eye test carried out when renewing their driving license every three years."
