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DVLA Data Show 35,000+ Licences Revoked or Refused for Eyesight Failures Since 2022 as Ministers Mull Over‑70s Tests

Police are stepping up roadside vision checks that send drivers who fail a 20‑metre number‑plate test to the DVLA for assessment.

Overview

  • Freedom of information data report 35,448 cases since 2022 where the DVLA revoked licences or refused applications for not meeting eyesight standards.
  • The yearly breakdown shows 8,330 cases in 2023, 9,193 in 2024, and 7,277 recorded so far in 2025.
  • The Government is considering compulsory eyesight examinations for drivers over 70 as part of a new road safety strategy, though no policy has been announced.
  • DVLA figures show 2,839 people did not renew their licences on turning 70 since 2022, including 1,226 this year versus 523 last year, prompting concerns from BirminghamLive that some may have driven on expired licences.
  • Wiltshire Police say drivers who cannot read a number plate from 20 metres in daylight are referred to the DVLA, as officers target age‑related eyesight decline and remind motorists of the legal vision requirement.