Police in Scotland have suggested that “unfit” drivers should have their licences taken away.
'A lot of people killed on our roads are down to driver error or unfitness to drive. This may be down to medical issues,' explained Chief Inspector Elaine Logue.
'We need a new, innovative way to deal with this and we are working on this at a command level.'
The proposals would mean drivers with conditions such as diabetes and glaucoma would be asked to give up their driving licence.
Controversially many of the conditions detailed are mostly associated with the elderly.
A spokesperson for Age Concern said: 'Caricatures of bad older drivers mean there is an ongoing debate about road safety and people in later life, but this is not reflected in road safety statistics.'
Research by the RAC found that despite making up 6% of licence-holders, drivers over 75 only account 4.3% of deaths and serious injuries, much less than that of drivers aged 16 to 20 who make up 2.5% of licence-holders.
Motorists with similar or other conditions, such as epilepsy or sleep apnoea, must already surrender their licence if doctors decide it is unsafe for them to drive.
Logue’s proposal, backed by road safety charity Brake, would include working with the NHS to identify drivers who might be deemed “unfit” for the roads.
Brake has already urged the government to bring in mandatory eye tests after a survey found 1.5 million drivers in the UK have never had their eyesight checked.
Speaking for Brake, James McLoughlin said: 'We would urge anyone who suspects they have an impairing condition to refrain from driving and seek advice from their doctor and the DVLA.'
