Motorists above the age of 70 could face strict new road rules, with thousands of driving licences already cancelled due to one simple issue. Officials are looking into introducing mandatory eyesight checks on elderly road users, with over-70s soon forced to have a vision check to stay on the road.

The Department for Transport is currently holding a consultation that is set to close in May. The report states that tests could be held every three years at licence renewal, with over-70s expected to be targeted. The DfT warns that eyesight often deteriorates as people age because their visual acuity or sharpness falls.

Meanwhile, they explained that medical conditions that often affect the field of vision are more likely to develop in older age. New data has shown that eyesight issues were already costing road users, with nearly 33,000 British motorists having their driving licences revoked or application refused due to vision concerns.

Motorists between the ages of 70 and 79 were among the most affected, with 10,794 cases of road users losing their licence. Meanwhile, a further 8,060 licences were cancelled for road users between the ages of 80 and 89, with a further 1,202 photocards cancelled for those over 90.

Simon England, expert and founder at ALA Insurance, warned that many older drivers may have been operating vehicles with poor eyesight for years.

He said: "Losing your licence is life-changing, but the safety risk of driving with impaired vision is even more severe. The difficulty is that eyesight often deteriorates so slowly that we don't notice the change in our day-to-day lives. By the time you realise you're struggling to read a road sign, you may have already been driving below the legal limit for some time."

A previous poll of 714 drivers from Auto Express found there would be some support for the introduction of new eyesight rules.

When asked whether road users supported mandatory eyesight tests every three years for those over 70, a whopping 72% of respondents said they were in favour.

Meanwhile, a staggering 44% of respondents even said they would strongly support the proposal. The report found that a clear majority (76%) believe eyesight checks should be mandatory for drivers of all ages - either every three years (45%) or at licence renewal (31%).