Government Considers Eye Tests for Elderly Drivers

Drivers over 70 years old could face compulsory eyesight tests to ensure they are still fit to drive.

The measure would complement the existing license renewal process and is one of 74 methods that the Government is considering to cut road deaths.

Another of the suggested actions would see drivers taking an eye test once they reach 70, and every three years after, in order to retain their license.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has issued a Road Safety Action Plan which, along with the potential actions, iterates the DfT's position that visual ability and cognitive functions (such as reflexes) decline with age.

The DfT has also set out a research programme, to be carried out in partnership with DVLA, which will measure the improvements to road safety that could come with eye tests for motorists over 70. DfT statistics from 2018 show that 4,603 drivers above the age of 70 lost their licenses due to issues with their eyesight alone.

A spokesperson for the DfT said: “The UK has some of the safest roads in the world, but we are always looking at ways to make them safer.

“As part of this, we want to find out more about how eyesight testing could play a role in reducing the number of fatalities on our roads.”

In the last five years, 37 people have been killed on the road in crashes where poor or uncorrected eyesight was named as a factor.

In the same time period, almost 1,100 were injured in the same way.

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