Overview
- An official reply to a Parliamentary question confirms the over‑70 licence renewal process remains unchanged while the Government examines the driver fitness self‑declaration regime.
- The proposal under consideration would require drivers renewing at 70 to submit a recent eye test result, with suggestions to assess reduced‑light vision, reaction times and peripheral vision.
- The Association of Optometrists urges mandatory checks, citing a survey of 910 optometrists and an estimate that about one in ten drivers may have sub‑standard eyesight.
- Labour’s road safety strategy is expected within weeks, with reporting suggesting it could include mandatory tests for older motorists or a three‑yearly ‘driver MOT’.
- Current DVLA rules rely on self‑reporting and a 20‑metre number‑plate reading standard; DfT figures show 252 injuries and six deaths in 2023 where poor eyesight was recorded.