New Driving Rules Could Ban Thousands as Stricter Road Safety Laws Loom
A sweeping shake-up of new driving rules is on the horizon, and it could see thousands of motorists banned from Britain’s roads. The proposals, set to be unveiled this autumn, target everything from older drivers’ fitness to drive to tougher drink- and drug-driving limits.
Officials are eyeing a series of hard-hitting reforms. One of the most controversial? Mandatory eye tests for drivers over 70, with an automatic ban for anyone who fails.
For decades, the UK has relied on older drivers self-reporting vision issues, something ministers now say is no longer enough. Regular medical checks to spot conditions like dementia could also be on the cards.
The changes don’t stop there. Seatbelt rules could be tightened, making drivers liable if passengers fail to buckle up.
Drink-driving limits in England and Wales may be slashed from the current 35 micrograms to 22 micrograms per 100ml of breath, bringing them in line with Scotland and the rest of Europe.
A government source told The Times: “It cannot be right that one person is killed or seriously injured on our roads every 18 minutes. Just think of the impact on those people and their families. We cannot sit by and simply do nothing.”
The push follows grim statistics. Serious road accident casualties surged by 20% last year, with 28,000 people badly injured — the highest figure since 2007. Drink-driving deaths are also climbing, reaching a 13-year high in 2022, fuelling fears that current safety laws are failing.
Police powers could also be bolstered. Roadside saliva tests for drug-driving may become admissible evidence in court, replacing the more cumbersome blood tests.
Officers could also crack down harder on illegal number plates that evade speed and ANPR cameras.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “It is in everyone’s interests to tackle road safety and bring the levels of death and serious injuries down significantly.”
Critics have not held back. A Labour source said: “At the end of the last Labour government, the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads was at a record low, but numbers have remained stubbornly high under successive Conservative governments.
In no other circumstance would we accept 1,600 people dying, with thousands more seriously injured, costing the NHS more than £2 billion per year.”
Under the proposals being examined by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, the UK could finally align with European safety standards. Ministers are also weighing up criminal penalties for uninsured driving and stronger measures for seatbelt non-compliance.
The Labour source added: “This Labour Government will deliver the first road safety strategy in a decade, imposing tougher penalties on those breaking the law, protecting road users and restoring order to our roads.”
With plans set to go to public consultation before becoming law, Britain’s drivers could soon be navigating some of the toughest motoring rules the country has ever seen.
