Older drivers to be put under the lens over failing eyesight

Driving laws review as UK eyesight rules branded Europe's weakest

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Older motorists in England and Wales could be banned from driving if they fail compulsory eyesight checks under sweeping reforms to road safety laws being drawn up by ministers.

The proposed changes, due to be unveiled in the autumn as part of the first Road Safety Strategy in a decade, are being billed by the government as the biggest shakeup of motoring rules “for decades”. They include mandatory eye tests for drivers over 70, a lower drink-drive limit in line with Scotland, and tougher penalties for offences such as failing to wear a seatbelt or driving uninsured.

The move follows a damning warning from a Lancashire coroner who labelled the UK’s vision enforcement rules “the laxest in Europe” after a series of fatal collisions involving drivers with serious sight problems. At present, motorists self-report visual impairments to the DVLA - a system shared by only two other European countries.