ROAD safety organisation GEM Motoring Assist is to sponsor a mature drivers' conference to share best practice and support safer driving for longer. â

The move follows the Government's announcement that eyesight checks for older drivers are to be strengthened as part of the new national road safety strategy.

The conference in Birmingham this April, will bring experts together to discuss the issue.

This focus on fitness to drive in later life, including potential mandatory eye tests for drivers over 70, is an important step towards reducing deaths and serious injuries on UK roads. â

Driving plays in maintaining independence, social connection and well-being in later life, and GEM has long championed the older driver.

However, safety for all road users must remain the priority, and ensuring that motorists of every age have the visual and cognitive abilities necessary for safe driving is a fair and proportionate approach.

GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst said: "GEM believes that good eyesight is a cornerstone of safer driving in later life. By maintaining the best possible standards of vision, older drivers can protect their independence, while also reducing avoidable risks for everyone who uses the road network." â