Britain is preparing for its biggest shake-up of older driver licensing in a generation, as ministers move to introduce mandatory eye tests for drivers aged 70 and over as part of a new national road safety strategy.
Against that backdrop, yesterday’s report by The WP Times on the planned reforms has prompted a formal response from clinicians working within the NHS-linked medical driving system. Following the publication of “Eye tests over 70 driving: UK government plans new licence rules to tighten safety without curbing freedom”, the editorial desk received a detailed submission from Derby DrivAbility, one of Britain’s specialist NHS-linked driving assessment centres based at Royal Derby Hospital.
The letter was sent to the editorial desk of The WP Times by Stuart Levien, ADI and Senior Driving Assessor at Derby DrivAbility, part of the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. In the submission, the clinicians said the DVLA reforms, while intended to improve road safety, could create what they described as an enforcement gap in how medical fitness to drive is assessed across the UK.
Eyesight is only one part of fitness to drive
Derby DrivAbility operates within the Specialist Rehabilitation Unit at Royal Derby Hospital, delivering on-road medical driving assessments for people whose health conditions may affect their ability to drive safely. The service is funded by the Department for Transport and regulated by Driving Mobility. In his submission to The WP Times editorial team, Levien wrote:
“The issue relating to fitness to drive is of enormous concern, not just relating to eyesight checks but all DVLA notifiable medical conditions.”
More than 200 medical conditions can trigger a DVLA review, including dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, diabetes-related neurological damage, motor neurone disease and major physical disabilities.
“These conditions significantly impair decision-making, judgement and physical control of a vehicle,” Levien said.
NHS centre closing with 700 people waiting
Derby DrivAbility is scheduled to close on 31 March 2026, ending more than 40 years of NHS-backed driving assessments across Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. According to Levien, the service currently has around 700 patients on its waiting list, representing an 11-month backlog, with referrals coming from the NHS, DVLA, police, Motability and military rehabilitation centres.
“The main reason cited is financial, as Department for Transport funding does not cover the cost of delivering the service,” he wrote.
After closure, the nearest centres will be in Sheffield or Solihull, creating significant access barriers for patients with serious disabilities.
Up to 40% of drivers may require medical assessment
“Statistics suggest that up to 40% of drivers have one or more medical conditions that may require a driving assessment to determine their fitness to drive,” Levien told The WP Times.
“Many individuals will never drive again, losing their freedom and independence. At the same time, others will continue to drive when they should have been formally advised to surrender their licence, putting themselves and the public in danger.”
Stuart Levien of NHS Derby DrivAbility warns that UK eye tests for drivers over 70 may miss serious medical risks as DVLA reforms take effect and specialist assessment centres close.
Levien said the DVLA’s reliance on self-reporting, particularly among drivers over 70, is unsafe.
“Currently they make their own medical self-declaration of fitness to drive. This is wholly inadequate and results in people failing to declare conditions to avoid having their licence revoked.”
The warning echoes findings by Dr James Adeley, HM Senior Coroner for Lancashire, who last year described the UK licensing system as “the laxest in Europe” after fatal crashes linked to medical impairment.
A national network under pressure (editorial context)
Derby DrivAbility is not alone. In December, The Queen Elizabeth Foundation (QEF) — one of Britain’s largest driving assessment centres serving London and the South East — also closed after more than four decades. There are around 20 Driving Mobility assessment centres nationwide. Only three are NHS-run. The remainder rely on charities to bridge the funding gap left by the Department for Transport.
“The Department for Transport is investing heavily in recruiting driving examiners, but not in Driving Mobility Assessment Centres whose services are just as vital,” Levien wrote.
Why this matters for the DVLA’s new eye-test rules
The government’s eye tests over 70 driving policy is intended to improve road safety while preserving older people’s independence. However, vision checks on their own do not provide a full picture of whether someone is medically fit to drive.
Standard eye tests do not assess:
- Cognitive decline
- Reaction time
- Neurological impairment
- Physical control of adapted vehicles
These factors are normally evaluated through on-road medical driving assessments, which are used by the DVLA to determine whether licences should be restricted, adapted or withdrawn. As specialist assessment services are reduced or withdrawn in some parts of the country, access to that form of evaluation is becoming more limited.
What this means for drivers and families
Under current DVLA rules, drivers are legally required to notify the licensing authority if they have medical conditions that could affect their ability to drive, including dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis and serious diabetes-related complications. Failing to do so can invalidate motor insurance and may lead to prosecution if a collision occurs.
Where there are concerns about someone’s fitness to drive, referrals for a medical or on-road assessment can be made through the Driving Mobility network, which works with the DVLA and the NHS to evaluate drivers whose health may affect their safety on the road. Information on available centres is published at drivingmobility.org.uk.
The DVLA also provides guidance and reporting forms for medical conditions at gov.uk/health-conditions-and-driving. GPs, hospital specialists and family members can request that the DVLA reviews a driver’s medical fitness to hold a licence.
Request for a formal government review
This article is based on a written submission received by the editorial desk from Derby DrivAbility, the NHS-linked driving assessment service operating within the Specialist Rehabilitation Unit at Royal Derby Hospital, part of the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.
In that submission, Stuart Levien, ADI and Senior Driving Assessor at Derby DrivAbility, set out the case for a formal review of how medical fitness to drive is funded and regulated in the UK.
“The scale of this problem cannot be overestimated. A formal Government review must be undertaken into the Department for Transport’s funding of driving mobility services and the self-declaration rules for medical conditions at the DVLA,” Levien wrote.
