Eye test for over-70s drivers under fire

Mandatory checks part of safety strategy

- BY FRANCES MILLAR

CAMPAIGNERS have hit out at plans to introduce mandatory eye tests for drivers over 70, warning the move could force careful and competent motorists off the road.

Potential eye tests and cognitive checks for older drivers are among measures that the government will consult on as part of its road safety strategy, published today.

It aims to cut deaths and injuries involving older drivers while avoiding unnecessary restrictions on mobility and personal freedom, ministers say.

The strategy intends to cut deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 65% within 10 years, and by 70% for children under 16. About 24% of car drivers killed in 2024 were 70 or older, and 12% of casualties in car collisions involved older drivers.

But Dennis Reed, director of campaign group Silver Voices, said targeting motorists over 70 risked being discriminatory and could create practical problems that leave drivers unable to renew their licences on time.