The DVLA has cancelled nearly 20,000 driving licences ahead of two compulsory tests for drivers over 70. The Labour Party government is currently consulting on new cognitive and eyesight checks for drivers over 70.
DVLA Revokes Licences
The DVLA has revoked nearly 20,000 licences from drivers aged over 70 in the past three years, Confused.com has warned. The government is consulting on having drivers over 70 face new mandatory eyesight exams. They could also be given mandatory cognitive tests to pass, amid fears that deteriorating cognitive function and poor eyesight are contributing to increases in road deaths. The strategy is part of the government's Road Safety Strategy.
Consultation and Reforms
The government will provide feedback in the autumn, with huge sweeping reforms expected, following the consultation ending earlier this week. Confused.com has laid bare the scale of the problem, releasing data after it discovered 19,715 driving licences have been withdrawn over the past three years due to vision problems. It includes 6,069 in 2025 alone.
Expert Advice
Matt Crole-Rees, car insurance expert at Confused.com, said: “There are simple steps drivers can take to stay safe. Regular eye tests are key, ideally every two years or sooner if you notice any changes.” Department for Transport research has previously found that 42 per cent of incidents involving drivers over 70 were due to sight problems.
Current Rules
Under current rules, driving licences can be renewed every 10 years. After 70, this is cut to every 3 years without mandatory medical exam unless issues arise. Declaration of fitness is required. A think piece for the ILC in 2011 by Dr Charles Musselwhite suggested approaches that help older people avoid the negative effects of giving up driving.
Dr Musselwhite, Senior Lecturer in Traffic & Transport Psychology at the University of the West of England, Bristol warned: “Older people need to be mobile for a variety of reasons. These include accessing daily services and shops and remaining connected to friends, family and other social events. Yet travel goes beyond that, it is a way of maintaining independence, of conveying status and image and an access to life beyond the home, a way of engaging with nature and seeing the world.”
