The UK government is preparing sweeping reforms to driving laws in England and Wales in an effort to cut road deaths and modernise enforcement.

The package, due in the autumn, will form the first Road Safety Strategy in a decade, and ministers say it’s necessary to “restore order to our roads.”

Eye Tests 

A central proposal will require motorists aged over 70 to take a compulsory eye test every three years when renewing their licence.

The move follows a Lancashire coroner’s inquest into four pedestrian deaths caused by drivers with poor eyesight.

Dr James Adeley called the UK’s current licensing system the “laxest in Europe,” noting that only three European countries rely on self-reporting for visual conditions.

Victims included Marie Cunningham, 79, and Grace Foulds, 85, killed in Southport in 2021 by a driver who had failed to report his failing eyesight to the DVLA, and 75-year-old Anne Ferguson, struck by a van driver diagnosed with cataracts a month earlier.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has accepted that the rules “need to be reassessed.”

More effective prescription

Road safety groups agree, with AA president Edmund King saying the change was “a small price to pay” for safety.

Regular eye tests for all drivers have long been called for, though this latest government proposal will only be focused on over-70-year-olds.

But Edmund King, president of AA, defended drivers over the age of 70, saying they “are still relatively safe”. Although acknowledged, bringing in a compulsory eye test was “a small price to pay” for safety.

“When you look at road deaths the big peaks are with young, new drivers and then older drivers – although older drivers it does tend to be those over 80 and 85,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Lower Drink-Drive Limit

Another significant change would reduce the drink-driving limit in England and Wales from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms — in line with Scotland.

The government says alcohol-related deaths have risen “catastrophically” in the past four years.

Road safety charity Brake estimates that matching Scotland’s limit could save dozens of lives annually.

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones described the changes as “the biggest shake-up for decades” but stressed that all proposals are still subject to consultation.

However, despite bringing the law in line with most other European countries, when the reduction in the drink-driving limit was introduced in Scotland, the results in road safety terms proved underwhelming.

A reduction in traffic police on the road in marked police vehicles of around 20% over the last decade across the UK is regarded by road safety organisations as one of the key problems in terms of road safety and compliance with driving laws.

Without an increase in the visible deterrent, changes to driving laws are regarded as largely ineffective.

There is also a general concern that younger generations are failing to appreciate the real dangers and consequences of drink driving after the success of campaigns over the last 40 years that reduced the drink drive carnage dramatically, and made drink driving a taboo subject.

Road safety commentators believe that education for young people in this area needs to be revitalised, along with visible police deterrence and better alternative transport options (especially at night and in rural areas).

Persistent and repeat drink-drive offenders are also a large area of concern.

The EU is introducing compulsory alcohol locks in an attempt to curb the issue, but the UK has yet to commit to similar rules.

Other Enforcement Reforms

The reforms could also introduce:

  • Penalty points for passengers not wearing seatbelts — a first in UK law.

  • Allowing roadside saliva tests as sufficient evidence in drug-driving cases, replacing time-consuming blood tests.

  • Tougher penalties for uninsured drivers and more precise regulation on illegal number plates.

Ministers believe current safety messaging is not working.

A government source told the BBC: “In no other circumstance would we accept 1,600 people dying, with thousands more seriously injured, costing the NHS more than £2bn per year.”

Pushback on GDL

Many road safety campaigners, particularly bereaved parents, want a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system to limit high-risk activities for new drivers.

GDL has proved highly successful in reducing crashes during the first year of driving, improving the level of new driver experience without dangerous distractions, particularly from similarly aged passengers.

But ministers have ruled it out for now, arguing it could “unfairly discriminate” against younger motorists.

Experts Urge Wider Action

Road safety commentators broadly welcome the proposals but say more is needed.

The RAC Foundation supports regular health and eyesight testing, but stresses the importance of technology and infrastructure improvements.

Campaigners cite Wales’ 2023 national 20mph speed limit, which reduced serious crashes by around 100 in its first year, as proof that lower speeds save lives.

Others point to Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) — tech already mandatory in new EU vehicles — as a potential game-changer for cutting speeding-related deaths, provided it’s implemented alongside driver training.

Balancing Safety, Fairness, and Enforcement

If implemented, the changes would overhaul key aspects of UK motoring law, targeting health standards, alcohol limits, and seatbelt enforcement.

Safety advocates argue the reforms could prevent hundreds of deaths and serious injuries each year, but warn that their impact will depend on consistent enforcement and public buy-in.

As Edmund King put it: “These measures are overdue. The challenge is making sure they’re introduced in a way that’s fair, effective, and changes driver behaviour.”