Cut to drink-drive limit and eye tests for over-70s considered in road safety overhaul
All the changes considered in road safety overhaul
- The UK government is planning a significant overhaul of road safety laws, with proposals expected to be published in the autumn as part of a new strategy.
- Key measures under consideration include reducing the drink-drive limit in England and Wales to 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath from 35, aligning it with Scotland and most of Europe.
- Ministers are also reportedly considering mandatory eye tests every three years for drivers aged over 70, with a driving ban for those who fail.
- Further proposals include tougher penalties for uninsured drivers and those failing to wear a seatbelt, and allowing police to use roadside saliva tests for drug-driving prosecutions.
- These reforms aim to address the persistently high number of road deaths and serious injuries in Britain, which saw 1,633 fatalities last year and cost the NHS over £2bn annually.