UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Health Secretary Wes Streeting defends plan to ban drivers over 70 who fail eye tests, as part of tougher rules to improve road safety.
As reported by Sky News, Wes Streeting supports new rules requiring over-70 drivers to pass eye tests every three years or risk losing their licenses.
Ministers said road deaths and injuries have “remained stubbornly high under successive Conservative governments” and are exploring “tougher” rules to tackle the issue.
What did Wes Streeting say about NHS costs and road safety?
On Monday, Wes Streeting said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is reviewing multiple proposals that will be announced “in the not too distant future.” He stood by the plans aimed at regulating elderly drivers.
The health secretary added,
“It cannot be right that we’ve ended up in a situation where the NHS is hit with a £2 billion a year bill because we are not taking road safety seriously enough – particularly as we get older and the quality of our eye health deteriorates, that we’re not keeping a regular check.”
What did Labour say about road safety and Conservative government failures?
A Labour insider stated,
“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.”
They added,
“In no other circumstance would we accept 1,600 people dying, with thousands more seriously injured, costing the NHS more than £2bn per year. 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.”
What did the Government source say about road deaths and action?
A government source said ministers feel a “responsibility” to lower road traffic accidents once more.
They added,
“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.”
What are the new proposals for drink-drive limits and over-70 driver tests?
The new plan includes lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales to align with Scotland’s rules.
In England and Wales, the drink-drive limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. It is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
Officials plan to reduce the drink-drive limit to 22 micrograms per 100ml of breath and 50 milligrams per 100ml of blood, matching Scotland’s standards.
New proposals could see drivers not wearing seatbelts receive penalty points. Those aged 70 or older may soon need to pass a compulsory eye test every three years to renew their driving licence.
Under the rules, those failing the eye test would be banned from driving. Tests for other conditions, including dementia, are also being considered.
How will new proposals tackle drug-driving and uninsured drivers?
New proposals allow police to use roadside saliva tests instead of blood tests to prosecute drug-driving offences more easily. The number of drivers who died with drugs in their system in Britain has increased by 78% in the last ten years.
The new plans also aim to increase criminal penalties for uninsured driving and tackle the issue of “ghost plates” that automatic number-plate recognition cameras cannot detect.
Deaths caused by road accidents
Data shows that 1,633 people lost their lives on roads last year. However, 28,000 suffered serious injuries, about one casualty every 18 minutes.
Road deaths fell from 41,000 to 24,000 between 2000 and 2010, but have since increased by almost 20%. London saw 110 road deaths, the lowest number outside pandemic years.