(The Center Square) – Illinois is the only state that requires a behind-the-wheel driving test based on age, but that may soon change.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said the Road Safety and Fairness Act would make the age for behind-the-wheel testing 87, raising it from 79.
“Seniors are among the safest drivers of any age category,” said Giannoulias. “This measure will align Illinois senior driving standards with the rest of the nation while increasing safeguards so that Illinois maintains its status as one of the strictest states when it comes to driver safety and license renewals.”
Giannoulias pointed to statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation that show in 2023, the crash rate for drivers 75 and older is 24.6 per 1,000 drivers, which is lower than every age range of drivers between 16 and 74 years old.
Last year, about 55,000 drivers between the ages of 79 and 86 took driving tests. Of those, only 55 failed and could not renew their driver’s licenses.
Drivers between the ages of 81 and 86 would still be required to visit a DMV facility to renew their license every two years. Drivers aged 87 and older would continue to be required to renew their license annually. These renewals would include a vision test and a driving test.
“AARP Illinois has heard for years from our members about how the driving test requirement disproportionately affects older drivers and perpetuates false narratives about their driving abilities,” said AARP Illinois State Director Philippe Largent. “The research clearly shows that older drivers are the safest drivers on our roadways, and we believe that singling them out to take an extra test is a type of age discrimination and has to end.”
Illinois is one of only five states that do not allow immediate family members to report concerns about a relative’s driving ability, but that would change.
“This legislation would allow family members, who have the best line of sight into a person’s cognitive state, to report those concerns and enable action,” said Giannoulias. “Either get them tested in a timely manner or take their driving privileges away entirely.”
