Drivers aged 70 and over in the UK could face cognitive assessments alongside mandatory eyesight tests under government proposals aimed at reducing serious road accidents. The potential changes could introduce new checks on older motorists’ fitness to drive while raising questions about independence and age-based restrictions.
Government Considers Cognitive Testing for Older Motorists
The Labour government led by Andy Burnham is reviewing proposals under its Road Safety Strategy, first unveiled during Sir Keir Starmer’s administration, according to Birmingham Live.
The strategy includes a consultation on mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over 70 and plans to develop options for assessing cognitive ability. No universal cognitive testing requirement has been confirmed.
“These measures aim to reduce deaths and injuries involving older drivers, without unnecessarily restricting their mobility and personal freedom.”
The strategy also outlines stronger enforcement of existing vision requirements:
“The government will continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to highlight the importance of regular police roadside eyesight tests for all drivers, ensuring that those drivers who fail to meet the minimum eyesight standards required for driving will have their driving licence revoked by DVLA.”
Medical reporting forms another part of the proposed approach.
“The government will also continue to engage with the relevant regulatory bodies to highlight the importance of healthcare professionals notifying DVLA if their patient is unwilling or unable to notify.”
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Road Accident Figures Put Older Drivers Under Scrutiny
Figures from the Department for Transport show that casualties killed or seriously injured in collisions involving at least one car driver aged 70 or older rose from 3,082 in 2004 to 3,451 in 2023.
The figures also reveal differences in casualty rates by age.
For drivers aged 60 to 69, the rate stood at 18.8 per billion miles driven, compared with 56.7 for drivers aged 70 and above. Fatal crash risk per mile rises sharply after age 80.
These statistics form part of the government’s consideration of whether existing driving fitness checks adequately address age-related risks.
Experts Warn Against Automatic Age-Based Screening
The International Longevity Centre (ILC) has questioned whether mandatory cognitive assessments for all older drivers would be proportionate.
The organization notes that some forms of dementia can affect visual perception and cognitive ability years before diagnosis, while evidence linking dementia specifically to driving capacity remains limited.
Its preferred approach focuses on identifying individual risks rather than testing everyone who reaches a particular age.
“ILC’s Driving in later life: options for reform (2011) recommends a proportionate approach – encouraging self-declaration of relevant conditions, backed by public awareness campaigns, and introducing cognitive screening only where concerns arise, rather than blanket mandatory testing by age.”
“This avoids stigmatising safe drivers while still identifying those genuinely at risk.”
That distinction could influence how the government develops any future cognitive screening requirements.
Ministers Face a Difficult Balance Between Safety and Independence
Former Labour transport minister Lilian Greenwood previously acknowledged the role driving plays in maintaining independence among older people.
“We know driving can be very important for older people’s wellbeing and help them to live independently, but we must also make sure everyone is safe on our roads.”
She also defended the broader objectives of the strategy:
“As the country’s older population grows, our plans in the first road safety strategy in more than a decade will preserve personal freedoms where possible with action to save lives.”
For now, mandatory eyesight testing remains a consultation proposal, while cognitive screening is still being explored. The government has not confirmed that every driver over 70 would be required to undergo a cognitive assessment.
