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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.”
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