Over-70s Face Licence Ban for Poor Vision Test Results
Under a drastic overhaul of British driving laws, motorists over the age of 70 could be barred from driving if they fail mandatory eye examinations.
Plans also include lowering the drink-driving limit in England and Wales to match Scottish legislation, as well as penalising drivers who do not wear a seatbelt.
The decision comes after a coroner described the UK's licensing system as the "laxest in Europe" following an inquest into four deaths caused by drivers with poor eyesight.
The modifications are expected to be included in a new road safety policy issued by the government in the autumn, as ministers believe the existing safety messaging is ineffective.
" In no other circumstance would we accept 1,600 people dying [on the roads each year], with thousands more seriously injured, costing the NHS more than £2bn per year," a source familiar with the matter told the BBC.
"This Labour government will deliver the first Road Safety Strategy in a decade, imposing tougher penalties on those breaking the law, protecting road users and restoring order to our roads," according to the source.
Dr. James Adeley, HM Senior Coroner for Lancashire, delivered a report to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander in April recommending that action be taken to prevent future deaths after discovering that the enforcement of visual law standards for drivers was risky.
The United Kingdom is one of only three European countries that rely on self-reporting for visual problems affecting driving ability.
A new rule being developed by the transport secretary may make eye tests mandatory for those over the age of 70 when they renew their driver's licence every three years.
However, Peter Browne, 73, of Great Yarmouth, told the BBC that he has attempted to schedule an appointment to have his vision checked but has been unsuccessful.
He claims to have glaucoma and has reported it to the DVLA, but he hasn't stopped driving.
"I'm quite frustrated," he explained. "If it were found that my eyesight was not of sufficient level to drive, would it be my fault or the NHS's for not being able to give me an appointment?"
Edmund King, president of the AA, defended drivers over the age of 70, saying they "are still relatively safe" - though he agreed that implementing a compulsory eye test was "a small price to pay" for safety.
"When you look at road deaths, the big peaks are with young, new drivers, followed by older drivers, though older drivers tend to be those over 80 and 85."
According to road safety organization Brake, "one in five young drivers crash in their first year," and more than "1,500 young drivers are killed or seriously injured each year."
Limit for drinking and driving.
The government is also considering prospective medical tests for diseases, including dementia, as well as harsher drink-driving laws.
According to the Times, the drink-drive limit will be reduced from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 milliliters of breath to 22 micrograms.
This would be consistent with restrictions currently set in Scotland, which were reduced in December 2014 following an independent review of the Drink and Drug Driving Law.
Despite the reduced limit, the Institute of Alcohol Studies determined that it "had no impact on any type of road accident, from fatal crashes to collisions". It did, however, discover that the reform resulted in increased anti-drink sentiment among the general public.
According to government numbers from late last year, there had been "a catastrophic rise" in mortality caused entirely by alcohol in England over the previous four years.
Other recommendations include allowing police to use roadside saliva tests as evidence of drug-driving rather than blood testing, making it simpler to convict offenders.
Depending on the specifics of each policy area and the devolution agreements in existence, these reforms, if implemented, may apply to all of Great Britain, to England and Wales, or to only England.
Alex Davies-Jones, the Justice Minister, told BBC Breakfast that this was the most significant change to the UK's driving regulations in "decades," but emphasized that the proposed changes are still subject to public debate.
She also stated that the government is not currently considering the implementation of tiered licenses for young drivers, something many bereaved parents have advocated for, citing concerns that it could "over-target younger drivers and unfairly discriminate against them".
She also stated that the administration "will keep everything under review".
'Ineffective, hazardous, and unfit'
Earlier this year, coroner Dr Adeley labeled the current system for enforcing visual legal standards as "ineffective, unsafe, and unfit" to satisfy society's needs.
He made the remarks at the Preston Coroner's Court inquests for Marie Cunningham, 79, Grace Foulds, 85, Peter Westwell, 80, and Anne Ferguson, 75, who were all slain by pensioners.
Current regulations require everyone over the age of 70 to renew their driver's licence and update their photograph every three years.
When renewing your licence, the government requires you to inform the DVLA if you have a vision condition, which does not cover being short-sighted, long-sighted, or color blind.
Rob Heard, the founder of Older Drivers Forum and a former traffic policing officer, said he had attended over 300 fatalities in his time and had seen firsthand the impact these incidents had on so many individuals.
"All of the new recommendations coming out are good," he added, adding that he supports "compulsory eyesight testing for all ages."
Kay Hine, 75, of Perthshire, used to own an optician's office and believes that everyone, regardless of age, should ensure their eyesight is adequate for driving.
"People must prove that they can see," she pointed out.
"Everyone who drives should hold a 'proof of eyesight standard' or 'vision fitness to drive' from a recent eye examination, as they do in most European countries."