Over 70s face UK driving bans if they fail eye tests
The shake-up could also see the drink drive limit in England and Wales to be lowered in line with Scotland's laws.
Under the plans being considered by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, the drink-drive limit in England and Wales could be cut from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms.
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This figure would be in line with Scotland, which cut its drink-drive limit in 2014, and the rest of Europe, where no other country has a limit as high as that in England and Wales.
Ministers are also considering tougher penalties for uninsured drivers and failing to wear a seatbelt.
Last year, 1,633 people were killed and almost 28,000 seriously injured in traffic incidents, and numbers have remained relatively constant following a large fall between 2000 and 2010.
A Labour source said: '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.
'In no other circumstance would we accept 1,600 people dying, with thousands more seriously injured, costing the NHS more than £2 billion per year.'
Meanwhile, the number of people killed in drink-driving incidents has risen over the past decade, reaching a 13-year high in 2022 and prompting concern that existing road safety measures are no longer working.
Other proposals are reported to include allowing the police to bring prosecutions for drug-driving on the basis of roadside saliva tests rather than blood tests as increasing numbers of drivers are being caught with drugs in their system.
The Labour source added: '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.'
The strategy is due to be published in the autumn, and all proposals will be subject to consultation.
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Powys County Times
a few seconds ago
- Powys County Times
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Reuters
a minute ago
- Reuters
TRADING DAY Is the only Fed doubt now a 25 or 50 bps cut?
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STV News
31 minutes ago
- STV News
Trump suggests meeting with Zelenskyy and Putin shortly after Alaska summit
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Vance, who is on holiday in the UK with his family, said Trump told him on Wednesday, 'that we are going to make it our mission as an administration to bring peace to Europe once again'. Posting to his social media site, Truth Social, the US president said that European leaders want to 'see a deal done'. Friday's summit in Alaska will be the first time the US and Russian leaders have met in four years. / Credit: AP Trump has said a peace deal with Russia would require Ukraine to give up some Russian-held territory and could include some 'land swapping' with Ukraine. But Zelenskyy said he would not give eastern Ukraine to Russia or withdraw from the territories that it controls, warning it would act as a 'springboard for a future new offensive'. Writing on his official Telegram channel, the Ukrainian President said there was currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war,' and urged Ukraine's partners in the United States and Europe to coordinate efforts and 'force Russia to peace'. 'Pressure must be applied on Russia for an honest peace. We must take the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception by Russia,' Zelenskyy said. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
