A record number of organ transplants were carried out in the UK last year In asking new drivers whether they wish to join the organ donor register, the government is attempting to reduce the gap between those believed to want to donate their organs and those who actually commit to doing so.
The move has been widely welcomed but, for some, it does not go far enough.
The NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) service believes it will make an often difficult decision for relatives much easier.
It says 90% of people support organ donation despite only 27% of the UK population being registered donors.
Since many people do not inform family members of their wish to donate their organs, sometimes relatives opt not to give consent.
Paula Aubrey, team manager for the NHSBT's London Organ Donation Services Team, said: "We know from practical work if the relatives know the person who has died wanted to donate organs it makes the decision so much easier for them.
"What we know in the UK is a lot of people want to donate their organs but just don't get round to signing up.
"We have no margin to miss any person who would want to donate."
Under the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's "prompted choice" system, applicants will either have to register to donate, say they have already signed up, or select an option which states they do not wish to answer the question.
Between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010:
3,709 organ transplants were carried out in the UKThe organs were donated by 2,021 people978 lives were saved through a heart, lung, liver or combined heart/lungs, liver/kidney, liver/pancreas or heart/kidney transplant3,099 people had their sight restored through a cornea transplantAlmost one million more people added their names to the NHS organ donor registerIn September, the number of people on the register had reached 17.4 millionSource: NHSBT
The existing system allows applicants to skip the question completely.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has backed the planned revision, calling it a step in the right direction, but the body is also among those pushing for bolder action.
The BMA would like to see a system of presumed consent, where the assumption would be made that all people wish to donate their organs unless they have chosen to opt out.
It wants donation to become the default position and says "public support for such a change is growing but we need to continue to raise awareness and encourage public debate".
Dr Tony Calland, chairman of the BMA's ethics committee, is pressing for a system of "soft presumed consent" where organs would only not be used if there was "extremely strong" opposition from relatives.
Similar systems have been introduced in other countries, with varying degrees of success, he said.
"Austria and Spain are the two main ones that have a system of presumed consent and it seems to work really well there," Dr Calland said.
Prompted choice schemes in the United States have also increase
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