Overview
- Ministers have launched a consultation on compulsory vision checks for motorists aged 70 and over at three‑year licence renewals, with those who fail facing loss of driving rights.
- Officials are exploring options for cognitive screening of older drivers, but this work remains at an early stage and is not yet slated for consultation.
- The strategy, due to be published on Wednesday, sets targets to cut deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035 and by 70% for under‑16s.
- Reported proposals under consideration include lowering England and Wales’ drink‑drive limit to Scotland’s level, introducing penalty points for passengers not wearing seatbelts, and doubling uninsured‑driver fines to £600 with more licence points.
- DfT data show 24% of drivers killed in 2024 were aged 70 or over, and coroners have highlighted a sharp decline in self‑reporting of major eye conditions and the UK’s reliance on self‑certification.