Illinois Secretary of State Proposes Extending Age Requirement for Senior Drive Tests
In an initiative to align Illinois with other states while retaining strict license renewal laws, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has unveiled a proposal recommending the extension of the age requirement for mandatory driving tests from 75 to 79. The announcement follows a comprehensive report highlighting the safety records of senior drivers in the state.
On September 27, 2023, Giannoulias highlighted the exemplary safety records of senior drivers, who are among the safest on the roads according to recent data from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The statistics from 2022 show a crash rate of 24.39 per 1,000 drivers for individuals aged 75 and older, which is notably lower than every other age group between 16 and 69.
“Statistics show that seniors are among the safest drivers of any age category. This change would make Illinois driving standards for senior drivers more consistent compared to other states while keeping Illinois as one of the strictest states for license renewals,” Giannoulias stated, emphasizing the importance of road safety.
The proposal has garnered support from the AARP, with Ryan Gruenenfelder, Senior Manager of Outreach and Advocacy for AARP Illinois, applauding the Secretary’s recommendation. “Though AARP maintains age alone is not determinative of driving performance, this is a step in the right direction. We look forward to continuing to work with Secretary Giannoulias to identify policy solutions that assess all drivers’ ability to be safe on the road,” Gruenenfelder remarked.
The initiative to amend the age requirement was temporarily implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Illinois General Assembly, extending the age for mandatory driving tests to 79. Initially set to expire on January 1, 2023, the act was extended to October 1, 2023, requesting recommendations from the Secretary of State’s office for a permanent implementation.
Should the legislation be permanently enacted, around 280,000 individuals between the ages of 75 and 78, constituting 3% of the driving population in Illinois, would be impacted. The move aims to ease the renewal process for senior drivers, keeping in line with neighboring Wisconsin, where no age-specific renewal requirements are in place. Yet, crash rates among senior drivers are nearly identical to those in Illinois.
The full report, alongside the recommendation can be accessed here.
Giannoulias urges the state to adopt these rules swiftly to ensure seniors aren’t inconvenienced with driving tests post-October 1, until the new regulations are permanently instated. He reaffirms that monitoring state driving laws to ensure the safety of Illinois’ roadways remains a priority for the Secretary of State’s office.