Major driving laws and licences overhaul planned - what it means for you

A major overhaul of road safety laws could see the drink-driving limit slashed and older motorists forced to take mandatory eye tests.

Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones said the proposals, set to be published in the autumn, will be the "biggest shake-up to our driving laws for decades". Under the proposals, motorists could also get points on their licence for not wearing a seatbelt or tougher punishments for driving without insurance, while over 70s could be banned from driving if they fail compulsory eye tests.

Concern about the number of people being killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads has been rising. It comes after thousands of Brits to get shock letter from HMRC after drastic new tax rule comes into force.

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Bereaved daughter Claire Eady who lost her 79-year-old mum in a car crash after she pulled out into oncoming traffic last year said the changes would save lives. Tragically, she said she believes her mum would still be here today if mandatory tests were forced on people. “My mum’s been killed in a car crash, and it was just something that you never think they're going to say,” she told the BBC. "I don't think my mum ever would have thought she needed to stop driving because there were too many things that depended on her being out in a car.”

Under the shake-up over 70s could be forced to take an eye-test every three years to renew their licence and a driving ban for those who fail. The UK is one of only three European countries to rely on self-reporting of eyesight problems that affect driving. An inquest into four deaths caused by drivers with failing eyesight saw a coroner call the UK's licensing system the "laxest in Europe" earlier this year.

Ministers are also considering cutting the drink driving limit in England and Wales to match Scotland - a cut from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms.

The government says it's impossible to say exactly how many drinks this is equal to as alcohol impacts people depending on factors such as weight, sex, and age. A maximum legal drink drive limit was first introduced in 1967.

Police could also be allowed to rely on saliva tests instead of blood tests to check for drug-driving to make it easier to bring prosecutions under the plans.

Former semi-pro footballer Shaun Whiter is among those who have campaigned against dangerous driving after a drunk motorist drove into him and crushed his legs, which were later amputated. I was very emotional during the month I spent in hospital," he told the BBC last year. "At my lowest point, I kept thinking, 'Why did it happen, why me, what am I going to do with my life now?'”

But Mr Whiter, who lives in Hertford and is in his 30s, now raises awareness of road safety, from drink-driving to people being distracted on their phones. He often gives talks to young sports professionals. “Some of them are still learning to drive, and I just want to protect them,” he said. “If I can just put that thought in their head about being careful, I've done my job.”

On Britain's roads last year, 1,633 people were killed and almost 28,000 seriously injured in traffic incidents, and numbers have remained relatively constant following a large fall between 2000 and 2010. Meanwhile, the number of people killed in drink-driving incidents has risen over the past decade, reaching a 13-year high in 2022 and prompting concern that existing road safety measures are no longer working.

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A Labour source said: "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 £2billion per year."

Motoring groups have hailed the plans to overhaul road safety laws as "much overdue" and "a step in the right direction". Edmund King, AA president, said: "The time has come for a bold and proactive approach to road safety. This strategy is much overdue as road deaths have plateaued over the last decade. We believe these new measures will not only modernise our approach to saving lives but also provide renewed momentum in making our roads safer for everyone."

But he wants the plans to go further and is urging ministers to introduce limits on new drivers under the age of 21 transporting peer-age passengers for six months after passing their test.

READ MORE: Major change to drink-driving limit under huge shake-up of road safety laws plan

Ms Davies-Jones said: "This is the biggest shake-up to our driving laws for decades, and that's because this is what the public have been telling us that they want, they want us to be taking action, they feel like the time is right for us to review these laws." She said all the plans will be reviewed as part of a consultation with drivers and the public.

On limiting new drivers from transporting their peers, Ms Davies-Jones said this isn't something the Government is "currently looking at", adding: "We do feel that this could potentially overly target younger drivers and unfairly discriminate against them."

'This is a sensible step and motorists overall support it'

By Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at IAM RoadSmart

In 2023, there were almost 100 serious injuries or fatalities caused by defective eyesight. These tragedies are avoidable. Every driver has a responsibility to ensure they have good enough eyesight for driving, but vision problems can become more frequent as we age, hence the focus on over-70s.

This is a sensible step and motorists overall – even those aged 70 and above – support it. For most older drivers who are safe and ‘self-regulate’, these proposals are unlikely to be controversial.

However, the UK Government’s strategy should be wholistic in focus, meaning we need to see measures to improve safety amongst younger drivers as well. We know that around a fifth of new drivers will crash within the first year of holding their full licence.

We also need to ensure that the police on the frontline are given all the tools they need to enforce – not only to reduce the number of dangerous drivers on our roads but also to show a visible deterrent."

'No excuse for frightening pensioners who depend on their cars'

By Dennis Reed, Director Silver Voices

There is no excuse for frightening pensioners who depend on their cars, without any evidence that poor eyesight as a contributor to accidents is more common after the age of 70 than before.

In fact, the Department of Transport last year produced evidence that only 10% of accidents resulting in casualties involve a driver over 70, which is less than the percentage of older drivers in the population. There may be a strong case for regular eyesight tests, perhaps every ten years, but this should apply across the board.

It is nonsense to suggest that people can safely depend on their eyesight from 17 to 69, but not on their 70th birthday.I suspect there is a bigger problem with middle-aged drivers who have never had their eyes tested.

This headline grabbing proposal seems designed to show that the Government will do something about road safety, while making older people scapegoats yet again. This is lazy policy making, and unless convincing evidence is produced, Silver Voices will oppose compulsory eye tests for pensioners as another example of age discrimination in society.

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