Overview

• Labour is preparing the first road safety strategy in more than a decade, targeted for publication by year-end with a public consultation to follow.
• A source close to the transport secretary says eyesight rules "need to be reassessed" and that no options are being ruled out.
• One reported proposal would require professional vision checks for drivers aged 70 and over every three years, tied to licence renewal.
• Data cited in reports show fatal or serious collisions involving older drivers have risen 12% since 2004, while collisions for other age groups fell 45%.
• The push follows a coroner’s criticism of the self-certification system as the "laxest in Europe" alongside AA warnings that shorter daylight increases crash risk for older drivers.