Calls for tighter checks on older drivers’ eyesight are growing, after new stats show a worrying rise in crashes caused by poor vision.
In 2023, 252 people were injured in UK road accidents where bad eyesight played a role — the highest number since 2017. Six of those crashes were fatal, and three of the people killed were pedestrians.
Most of the injuries were to passengers, which highlights the fact that it’s not just the driver at risk — it’s everyone around them.
Currently, drivers over 70 have to renew their licence every three years, but there’s no legal requirement for an eye test. Instead, they just tick a box to confirm they’re fit to drive — no proof, no doctor’s note, no check-up.
That could soon change. The government is under pressure to tighten the rules as part of a new road safety strategy expected later this year. One key stat is especially eye-opening: 42% of collisions involving drivers over 70 were linked to poor eyesight.
Police have already started doing roadside eyesight tests. In one campaign, they stopped over 3,000 drivers and asked them to read a number plate from 20 metres — the same test learner drivers take. Fifty people failed it.
If just 1.7% of the UK's 42 million drivers have eyesight that bad, that could mean more than 700,000 people are legally driving without meeting the minimum eyesight standards.
Edmund King, President of the AA, says it’s time for regular eye tests to be mandatory for older drivers. “Good eyesight is necessary for every driver, especially as we watch and use screens and expose our eyes to blue light."
The number of older drivers on the road is growing fast. Nearly 6 million drivers in the UK are over 70 — and over 1.6 million are 80 or older. There are even over 500 people aged 100+ who still have valid licences.
One coroner called the UK’s rules “the laxest in Europe” and warned that the system allows people to keep driving even when they've been told by their optician not to.
In fact, four recent deaths — all involving elderly drivers with known vision problems — triggered an official report recommending changes. The Transport Secretary has since said she’s “open to considering” mandatory eyesight tests for older drivers.
With road death numbers barely falling over the past decade, this could be one area where a simple fix could save lives.
