Older drivers could be forced to undergo eye tests to keep hold of licence The proposal follows a rise in road deaths relating to drivers with failing eyesight An elderly man undergoing an eye test. (Image: Chris Whiteoak/Aldershot News ) Older drivers could be required to pass an eye test in order to keep hold of their driving licence as part of new measures to improve road safety, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said. Ms Alexander told the Commons Transport Select Committee that introducing mandatory eye tests for older drivers is something she is "open to considering" as part of the Government's forthcoming road safety strategy. ‌ The suggestion comes just weeks after HM Senior Coroner for Lancashire Dr James Adeley published a prevention of future death report relating to the deaths of four people killed by drivers with failing eyesight. Article continues below Currently, drivers are not subjected to mandatory checks of their health once they obtain their licence, no matter how old they are. While all licence holders are legally required to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they are no longer fit to drive, many fail to do so or ignore the deterioration of their health. Ms Alexander told the committee: "I know that reading that report (Dr Adeley's) will be very distressing for the families of the victims who were killed. ‌ "That, of course, was a situation where the optician had suggested to (four) individuals that they needed to advise the authorities that they had a medical condition which affected their eyesight and where they shouldn’t be driving. "And of course, that didn’t happen. So I am open to considering the evidence on this issue." Dr Adeley described the UK's licensing system as " the laxest in Europe". ‌ "Self-reporting of visual conditions permits drivers to lie about their current driving status to those performing an ophthalmic assessment and avoid warnings not to drive," he said. "Drivers may also admit they drive but then ignore instructions not to drive and fail to notify the DVLA." Those remarks were made at the inquests in Preston of Marie Cunningham, 79, Grace Foulds, 85, Peter Westwell, 80, and Anne Ferguson, 75 - all of whom were killed by drivers with failing eyesight. ‌ Police at the scene of the crash that killed Anne Ferguson on Market Street, Whitworth, on July 11, 2023. (Image: Manchester Evening News ) Motorists across the country could be at risk of a £1,000 fine if they fail to tell the DVLA about certain eye conditions. Official guidance states that if you suffer from an unreported eye conditions and find yourself in an accident as result of that condition you will be slapped with the hefty fine. Article continues below The DVLA must be made aware of any condition that affects both eyes or one eye where you only have vision in that eye. The DVLA must also be told if a GP, optician, or eye specialist said you do not meet the visual standards for driving. Legal visual requirements for driving dictate that all motorists must be able to read a number plate from 20 metres away, have no double vision and have a normal field of vision in at least one eye which can be tested by an optician.