New Rule: Over-70 Drivers Must Renew Eye Tests

Drivers in Britain aged over 70 will soon be required to undergo an eyesight test every three years, as part of a major overhaul of UK driving laws aimed at improving road safety.

The updated policy forms a key element of the government’s new road safety strategy, set to be released on Wednesday.

This initiative accompanies several other proposed reforms first mentioned in August, including aligning England’s drink-drive limit with Scotland’s lower threshold, and issuing penalty points to motorists who fail to wear seatbelts.

Government data shows that in 2024, nearly one in four drivers who died in car accidents were aged 70 or above. Current DVLA rules state that motorists must be able to read a licence plate from 20 metres, but there is no mandatory retesting of vision or driving capability once a licence is issued.

The present system relies on drivers self-reporting any medical issues that could make them unsafe on the road.

AA president Edmund King noted that people over 60 already qualify for free eye tests, and health experts recommend checkups every two years because they can detect broader medical problems. “In fact,” he added, “the AA encourages all drivers to have an eye test every two years.”