The UK government is preparing to introduce sweeping new road safety measures that could see thousands of older drivers taken off the roads, as ministers respond to persistently high casualty rates and mounting public concern over road safety. The proposals, set to be unveiled in a new road safety strategy this autumn, include compulsory eye tests for drivers over 70, a significant reduction in the drink-drive limit, and tougher penalties for a range of driving offences.
Why it matters:
Road deaths and injuries in the UK have remained stubbornly high, despite earlier progress in reducing casualties. In 2024, 1,633 people died in road traffic accidents, with nearly 28,000 seriously injured—a 20% increase in serious casualties and the highest figure since 2007, according to multiple government sources and as reported by The Times and Sky News. The annual cost to the National Health Service (NHS) from road accidents now exceeds £2 billion, putting additional pressure on already stretched resources.
Driving the news:
On August 11, 2025, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander defended proposals to require drivers aged 70 and over to take compulsory eye tests every three years when renewing their licences. According to government sources, those who fail would lose their right to drive. The government is also considering mandatory medical tests for older drivers to detect conditions such as dementia. These measures are part of a broader overhaul that includes lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales from 35 micrograms to 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, aligning with Scotland and much of Europe.
Other proposed changes include:
- Introducing penalty points for not wearing a seatbelt, a first in the UK.
- Allowing police to prosecute drug-driving cases based on roadside saliva tests, rather than the current requirement for blood tests.
- Harsher penalties for driving without insurance.
- New rules to tackle number plates that cannot be read by speed and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.
These reforms are expected to be published in the autumn ahead of a public consultation, with legislation to follow.
What they’re saying:
Wes Streeting, defending the plans, told broadcasters: "It cannot be right that we've ended up in a situation where the NHS is hit with a £2bn a year bill because we are not taking road safety seriously enough—particularly as we get older and the quality of our eye health deteriorates, that we're not keeping a regular check."
Kemi Badenoch, a senior Conservative politician, also voiced support: "I think we need to make sure that people driving on our roads and using our streets are safe. If people are failing their eye test, then I think it's important that we make sure that only those people who can actually see can drive, that's quite critical."
Caroline Abrahams, director at Age UK, welcomed the government’s encouragement for regular eye testing but questioned whether compulsory tests at age 70 are appropriate. She noted: "People can develop eye problems at any age" and suggested that "a regular eye test for drivers of all ages may be a better idea, one less open to the accusation of ageism—but we would need to see all the evidence to form a final view."
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "It is in everyone’s interests to tackle road safety and bring the levels of death and serious injuries down significantly."
A Labour source stated: "At the end of the last Labour government, the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads was at a record low, but numbers have remained stubbornly high under successive Conservative governments. In no other circumstance would we accept 1,600 people dying, with thousands more seriously injured, costing the NHS more than £2bn per year."
State of play:
The UK currently relies on drivers self-reporting eyesight problems that may affect their ability to drive, a system used by only two other European countries. The planned shift to compulsory eye testing for older drivers is a response to criticism from coroners and road safety advocates after high-profile accidents involving drivers with poor eyesight. Ministers are also considering mandatory medical checks to identify conditions like dementia, which can impair driving ability.
In addition to the eye test requirements, the government aims to address the rising number of drink-driving deaths. The drink-drive limit in England and Wales has been higher than in most European countries, but under the new proposals, it would be reduced to match Scotland’s stricter standard—22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. This move follows a 13-year high in drink-driving deaths in 2022, highlighting concerns that existing measures are insufficient.
The reforms also target drug-driving, with plans to make roadside saliva tests admissible as evidence in court, streamlining prosecution and responding to an increase in drivers testing positive for drugs. Tougher penalties for driving without insurance and new measures against unreadable number plates are also on the table, as ministers seek to "restore order to the road."
By the numbers:
- 1,633 people died in road traffic accidents in the UK in 2024.
- Nearly 28,000 people were seriously injured in road accidents in the same year, a 20% increase and the highest since 2007.
- The NHS spends more than £2 billion annually on treating victims of road accidents.
- The proposed drink-drive limit will be reduced from 35 micrograms to 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath in England and Wales.
- One person is killed or seriously injured on UK roads every 18 minutes, government sources said.
Zoom in:
Currently, drivers over 70 can renew their licence by self-certifying their fitness to drive, with no mandatory medical checks. The proposed changes would require them to pass a professional eye test every three years. Failure to do so would result in a driving ban. The government is also considering extending mandatory medical checks to screen for conditions like dementia, though details remain under review. These measures are intended to address the unique risks posed by age-related health decline while also tackling broader issues of road safety.
Drink-driving remains a persistent problem, with deaths rising over the past decade. Scotland lowered its limit in 2014, and the rest of Europe has adopted similar or stricter standards, leaving England and Wales as outliers. The planned reduction is seen as an effort to align the UK with international best practices and respond to the recent surge in drink-driving incidents.
What to watch:
The government plans to publish the full details of the new road safety strategy in autumn 2025, followed by a period of public consultation before legislation is introduced. Ministers expect robust debate over the fairness and effectiveness of age-based testing and the impact of stricter drink-drive and drug-driving laws. Road safety advocates, motoring organizations, and charities such as Age UK will likely play a key role in shaping the final measures.
The reforms are designed to reverse the recent rise in road casualties and ease the burden on the NHS, while balancing concerns about fairness and discrimination. The success of these measures will depend on both public acceptance and effective enforcement.
With the government determined to "restore order to the road," drivers—especially those over 70—face significant changes in the coming year as the UK seeks to make its roads safer for everyone.