UK Ministers Urged to Boost Road Safety for New Drivers

Motoring groups have welcomed government plans to reform road safety laws, which could see drivers over 70 banned if they fail compulsory eyesight tests, but have urged ministers to introduce additional measures to better protect young drivers and their passengers.

According to The Times, ministers are considering lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales, making eyesight tests mandatory for older motorists, and introducing tougher penalties for uninsured driving and failing to wear a seatbelt. However, the proposals reportedly stop short of restricting inexperienced drivers from carrying groups of friends in their cars.

In 2023, there were 1,633 deaths and nearly 28,000 serious injuries on Great Britain’s roads — a figure that has barely changed in recent years following a steep decline between 2000 and 2010.

AA president Edmund King said the measures were “much overdue” and could modernise road safety efforts, but called the omission of restrictions on peer-age passengers for new drivers a “major oversight.” He added that vision checks for older motorists and cracking down on drink and drug driving were practical steps that could save lives.

Nicholas Lyes of the road safety charity IAM RoadSmart also welcomed the proposals, describing them as a “step in the right direction” given the lack of progress in reducing serious crashes. He supported lowering the drink-drive limit and targeting drug-driving but stressed that enforcement would require more resources for road policing.

A Labour spokesperson criticised the government for allowing road casualty numbers to remain “stubbornly high” compared with record lows under the last Labour government, noting the financial cost to the NHS exceeds £2bn annually.

The number of deaths from drink-driving has risen over the past decade, hitting a 13-year high in 2022. Ministers are now considering reducing the legal alcohol limit from 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms — in line with Scotland and most of Europe.

Currently, the UK is one of only three European nations relying on drivers to self-report eyesight problems. The proposed reforms would require compulsory vision tests every three years for drivers over 70, with bans for those who fail. Other suggested changes include allowing prosecutions for drug-driving based on roadside saliva tests, replacing the current requirement for blood samples.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to publish the new road safety strategy in the autumn, with all proposals subject to public consultation. The Labour source said the plan would be the first in a decade, aimed at tougher penalties, better protection for road users, and restoring order on Britain’s roads.