Major DfT plan that would affect millions of drivers Andy Burnham now has to decide on

The government led by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham must decide whether to introduce a significant change to current driving rules after a review conducted under Sir Keir Starmer’s administration. A consultation document published in February this year could lead to tough new measures for drivers being enacted either fully or partially if the new PM gives the go-ahead.

It covers a matter that would impact more than six million motorists – based on government statistics. The Department for Transport (DfT) document released in February this year examined the question of road safety – and the DfT has recently said it is now considering what to do about the issues it raised.

Entitled ‘Introducing mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers’, the document explored the possibility of compulsory vision testing for motorists aged 70 and above. Within it, officials examined the Danish model, where motorists must supply a medical certificate including an eye test at ages 70, 75 and subsequently every two years.

Outlining the objectives, it stated: “Our primary objective is to reduce road deaths and injuries of older drivers (and other road users who could be involved in collisions with older drivers) while preserving their independence, mobility and social connectivity. We believe that by ensuring older drivers continue to meet the required vision standards for safe driving, there could be a positive impact on road safety. To achieve this, there are a range of factors that need to be considered in how vision testing can be incorporated into the driving licence renewal process.”

The report noted that the majority of European nations require driving licence applicants to complete a vision assessment either at the time of initial application or upon renewal. These evaluations are usually conducted by optometrists, ophthalmologists or GPs, according to national requirements.

It identified Spain, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands as countries that have introduced compulsory eyesight testing at licence renewal.

In Spain, motorists must provide evidence of vision testing at initial application and at 10-yearly licence renewals. When a driver turns 65, they must renew their licence for five years and undergo a medical examination, which includes a vision test.

While the legal responsibility to notify DVLA of a relevant medical condition rests with the driver, the DVLA can and does accept notifications about motorists from third parties. Most frequently, this is the police, healthcare professionals, friends, relatives or neighbours.

Such notifications may be submitted on behalf of the driver or without their awareness.

Following notification, DVLA will undertake a medical investigation. This typically includes collecting information from the driver, making enquiries with their GP, as well as reviewing the results of any medical examination.

der driver’s taskforce ODTF’s 2016 report, resulting in an updated version published in November 2021, entitled ‘supporting safe driving into old age’. The 2021 report sets out recommendations for changes that could enhance the safety of older motorists, including the introduction of mandatory eyesight testing, fitness to drive assessments (an alternative to prosecution scheme for careless driving offences to be rolled out nationally), and voluntary driving appraisals.

It also suggests that the core content for driving appraisals and training courses for approved driving instructors (ADIs) should be broadened to establish a larger pool of certified and qualified instructors.

The ODTF found considerable evidence that vision deteriorates with age, with notable changes to both visual and cognitive function, as well as driving performance. When revising the 2016 report, the ODTF examined evidence alongside the most recent figures from Hampshire Constabulary, which revealed that 51% of drivers aged 70 and above in Hampshire, who were offered an assessment as an alternative to prosecution after being stopped for driving without due care and attention, required eyesight correction.

The report also referenced a study of police data conducted by the College of Optometrists, which established that 77% of a substantial sample of collision reports involving the over-60s cited ‘uncorrected, defective eyesight’ as a contributing factor.

The document outlined the options available to the government, stating: “Current considerations include introducing mandatory eyesight testing for drivers aged 70 and above and every renewal thereafter. Consideration could also be given to starting at a younger age (to be determined). “A proportionate approach is needed to balance road safety with individual autonomy. Visual capacity is fundamental to safe driving and age-related eye conditions often develop gradually and can go unnoticed by drivers.

“Areas being explored include conducting eyesight tests every 3 years for drivers over 70 in line with current licence renewal, or increasing the frequency as drivers reach higher age thresholds, for example, 75, 80, 85, etc.”

The government has recently been forced to release a statement dismissing claims circulating on social media suggesting that drivers would be required to resit their tests in an apparent misreading of these plans. A spokesperson for the UK government’s Department for Transport described the claim as “categorically false”, confirming it has no intention of forcing older motorists to retake their driving tests.

The government consulted on mandatory eye tests for drivers over 70 and is currently reviewing the responses, the spokesperson added.

The consultation was launched on January 7, 2026, under the government of Sir Keir Starmer. It closed on May 11, 2026, more than two months before Mr Burnham took office. Now he must decide what to do.