𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Campaigner are threatening to take the Government to court over plans to make older motorists take special eye tests in order to keep their licence. Any new road safety rules should apply to drivers of all ages, according to pressure group Silver Voices. But instead, it sauid the Government has “singled out” people over the age of 70. The group, which has 11,000 members, described the policy as “fundamentally discriminatory” and pointed out that the Equalities Act protects older people from both direct and indirect discrimination.

It also warned that banning older drivers from the road could prevent them seeing a doctor or buying essential groceries. In an official response to a Government consultation, it said: “Silver Voices urges the Department of Transport to consult the Equalities and Human Rights Commission before implementing this policy, otherwise it might be challenged in the courts.” Director Dennis Reed said, “This is another example of a policy being announced without the necessary back-up research being done. Picking out the age of 70 for stricter testing without any substantive evidence, is likely to contravene age discrimination legislation.”

Mr Reed said: “Hundreds of thousands of careful older drivers face being driven off the road because the implementation process has not been thought through, either because they can’t get a test in time, they can’t afford it, or the test is set at an unreasonably high level not applied to other drivers. This unworthy and cruel proposal should be withdrawn to put older minds at rest.”

Silver Voices called for a full impact study to consider the impact on older people, and warned the policy could prevent them attending health appointments and doing their shopping.

Keir Starmer’s Government sparked outrage after it announced that drivers over 70 will need to pass regular vision tests in order to keep their licence, as part of a drive to cut deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035. Four people die in traffic accidents every day, with thousands more seriously injured each year.

Silver Voices is not opposing the principle of requiring eye tests, but says any new rules must apply to all drivers. Ministers are also considering requiring older drivers to undergo “cognitive testing”, as part of a plan to improve road safety.

The Goverment’s Road Safety Strategy also includes a consultation on lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales, which has remained unchanged since 1967.