A road safety campaigner has said it is “insane” that drivers to not have to undergo regular medical tests to keep their licences.

The European Parliament is currently considering whether motorists should be made to undergo medical checks every 15 years to ascertain their fitness to drive.

Currently, drivers in Ireland over the age of 75 must be certified as fit to drive by their doctor; if the reform is passed into law, that requirement could be extended to younger age groups.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Elber Twomey, whose husband and children died in a car crash, said the proposal does not go far enough. 

“If you think about it, you buy a car when it’s three-years-old, there’s a need to have an NCT done after three years,” she said. 

“Yet, somebody gets a licence at maybe 17, 18 and there’s no need to check them again until they’re 75. 

“It’s insane.” 

Heavy traffic on the Quays in Dublin. Credit: Douglas O'Connor / Alamy Stock Photo

Ms Twomey thinks the current proposal is far too weak and a more rigorous testing regime should be introduced. 

“To me it’s a bit of a box ticking exercise,” she said. 

“Surely, all of our medical health changes so much in the space of 15 years?

“If you’re going to check your car [with an NCT] every two years, how come you’re not checking the operator?”

Traffic on a motorway.

Ms Twomey said all drivers should have to sit tests at least every five years.

“I even think five is a long time,” she said. 

“Just the basics of eyesight; somebody might not be aware that their eyesight has reduced [or] their response time. 

“They might shy away from going to the GP for various reasons if they need their car to go from A to B in the morning. 

“It becomes something that’s not scary, it’s something like the NCT; you book it, you get it done and off you go.” 

Ms Twomey described the recent number of road deaths in Ireland as “absolutely staggering”. 

Last year, 184 people died on Irish roads - a figure 19% higher than in 2022. 

So far in 2024, 35 people have died - three more than in the same period last year.

Main image: A driver. Image: Libby Welch / Alamy Stock Photo