While driving keeps older people independent and mobile, some drivers aren’t fit to be on the roads.
One of the main focuses in Labour’s wide-reaching Road Safety Strategy is the introduction of mandatory eye tests for drivers aged 70 and over.
The Government recognises how important driving can be for older people – it maintains independence, wellbeing and personal mobility. Many older drivers are still competent and capable, with a lifetime of experience behind the wheel.
But getting older also can come with age-related changes to your body and mind. Declining vision or cognitive function can seriously impact your ability to drive a car, as can increased frailty and reduced mobility.
Some drivers, although they might struggle to admit it, aren’t as capable of driving a car as they were in younger years. It’s a difficult conversation to have with an elderly relative, but it’s important to keep them and other drivers safe.
This isn’t about clamping down on older drivers – it’s about reducing deaths and injuries involving older drivers, says the Road Safety Strategy.
In November 2012, there were 3.9 million drivers aged 70 and over. As of September 2024, this has grown to 6.2 million.
Since 2015, a higher percentage of UK road deaths were drivers aged 70 or over (24% of total car driver deaths in 2024, compared to 22% in 2015).
At the moment, the Government is planning a consultation phase on this issue. There’s no concrete plan to introduce or enforce it just yet.
The Government is looking into how to implement cognitive testing for over 70s. This could be done with the assistance of medical professionals.
It’s part of a wider strategy to decrease road deaths by 65% in the next decade.
The new Road Safety Strategy also plans to lower the drink-drive limit, introduce a minimum learning period for learner drivers (which would get rid of high-intensity learner driver courses), and introduce roadside eye tests for drivers of all ages.
