The Government is consulting about mandatory eyesight tests for drivers over 70
Nearly 33,000 British motorists have had their driving licences revoked or applications refused due to bad eyesight. Thousands of people have been taken off the roads in the past four years as a result of failures to meet legal eyesight standards, which state drivers must be able to read a number plate from 20m away.
The figures, obtained through FOI requests, come as the Government enters the final weeks of a consultation on mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over 70. The proposals form part of a wider Road Safety Strategy which aims to reduce deaths and injuries on the UK’s roads – about 24% of all car drivers killed in 2024 were 70 or older, and 12% of all casualties in car collisions involved older drivers.
Older drivers (aged 70–79) accounted for the highest number of licence revocations between 2022 and 2025. 6,500 drivers under the age of 55 also lost their licences, highlighting that vision deterioration is not just a concern for the elderly.
In total, 32,944 drivers lost or were refused licences having failed to meet the eyesight standard. A further 4,177 bus and lorry drivers holding Group 2 qualifications also had their licences revoked or refused for failing to meet the eyesight standard.
The family of Marie Cunningham, who was knocked down and killed by a short-sighted driver in Southport, called the proposals for mandatory eye tests “a step in the right direction”.
Marie, 79, and her friend Grace Foulds, 85, were hit and killed by Glyn Jones’s Audi while crossing Lulworth Road at 4.30pm on November 30 2021. Jones, 67, had been told more than 10 years earlier that he had a degenerative eye condition which meant his vision was “well below the standard required” to be driving.
He admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, and was jailed for seven years and four months in January 2024.
Marie’s children Sue Rimaitis, Terry Cunningham, Lynn Cunningham and Steve Cunningham welcomed the Government’s proposals to introduce mandatory eye tests every three years for drivers aged 70 and over.
But they said the plans did not go far enough – and licences should also only be renewed by the DVLA when a certification of eyesight ability has been signed by a registered optometrist, and dated not more than six months before renewal.
Sue said: “This new road safety strategy is a step in the right direction, but the suggested changes don’t go far enough.
“The consultation period has to take in views on introducing mandatory sight tests for all drivers every 10 years from the general public and road safety organisations. This should not be about the over 70s only.
“People suffer from deteriorating eyesight at all ages throughout their lives due to many conditions which can only be picked up by regular eye testing by a professional. Glyn Jones was 65 when he killed our mum and Grace.
“Proof of a sight test should be included in the application to renew licences also. Jones was repeatedly told not to drive over a period of 10 years he ignored those warnings and was reissued his licence. Our mum, and Grace, paid the ultimate price.”
Under current 2026 regulations, police have the authority to carry out immediate roadside eyesight tests. Drivers who fail the 20-metre number plate test can have their licences revoked on the spot via a fast-track notification to the DVLA.
While doctors and other medical professionals, such as opticians, can directly notify the DVLA if they have strong suspicions a patient with failing eyesight is continuing to drive, few do this due to strict patient confidentiality regulations. This means as many as 2.1m current UK licence holders may not meet the legal visual standard due to a lack of regular testing.
Simon England, the founder of ALA Insurance, said: “Losing your licence is life-changing, but the safety risk of driving with impaired vision is even more severe.
“The difficulty is that eyesight often deteriorates so slowly that we don’t notice the change in our day-to-day lives. By the time you realise you’re struggling to read a road sign, you may have already been driving below the legal limit for some time.
“We recommend all drivers, regardless of age, book a professional eye test at least every two years. In the eyes of the law, ‘I didn’t realise’ is not a valid defence. Protecting your vision is the simplest way to protect your licence and, more importantly, the safety of everyone on the road.”
Driving with uncorrected defective vision is a serious criminal offence that carries a fine of up to £1,000, three penalty points, and the potential for immediate, on-the-spot licence revocation by the police.
Beyond the initial fine, being involved in an accident while failing to meet the legal eyesight standards can lead to far more severe charges like Dangerous Driving, which may result in imprisonment.
To help motorists stay safe and compliant, Simon has identified the key red flags that suggest it’s time for an immediate eye test:
Signs your vision may be putting your driving at risk
- Squinting: if you find yourself squinting to read road signs or street names that you used to see clearly, your distance vision has likely dropped below the required standard.
- Night blindness & glare: Difficulty driving at night, or feeling unusually dazzled by oncoming headlights, can be an early sign of cataracts or other underlying conditions that affect how your eyes process light.
- Frequent headaches: Struggling to focus on the road for long periods can cause significant eye strain, leading to fatigue or headaches after short journeys.
- Difficulty reading number plates: Under UK law, you must be able to read a standard vehicle number plate from 20 metres away. If you find yourself needing to be much closer to be certain of the characters, you are likely failing the legal roadside test.
- Double vision: Seeing halo-like glows around lights or experiencing double vision (even slightly) can severely impact your depth perception and reaction times.
