Giannoulias: Nixing or keeping senior road test is up to lawmakers
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said Wednesday he is staying neutral on the question of whether the state should end road exams for seniors.
Two lawmakers recently introduced separate bills seeking to remove or revise the mandate.
Illinois is the only state in the U.S. that requires individuals age 79 and older to take a driving test when renewing their licenses. The AARP calls the policy discriminatory.
“As secretary of state, I’m committed to ensuring that Illinois roads are as safe as possible, and that will always remain my top priority whether or not this proposal passes,” Giannoulias said.
The secretary of state's study issued a report last year that found in 2022, Illinois motorists age 75 and older had a crash rate of 24.39 per 1,000 drivers, the second lowest in the state.
“We’ve provided lawmakers and the public with the data we believe they need to make an informed decision to assess and reevaluate our state’s driving requirements,” Giannoulias added.
“Regardless of their decision, we will continue to do everything we can to protect drivers, pedestrians and cyclists on our roads.”
Illinois mandates drivers age 79 and 80 take a road exam if their four-year license renewal is up. For drivers age 81 to 86, it’s every two years, and for those 87 and older, it’s yearly.
Democratic state Rep. Joyce Mason of Gurnee and Republican state Rep. Jeff Keicher of Sycamore have each proposed changes to the law.
Mason said she was aware of Giannoulias’ decision and commented, “full steam ahead.”
Her bill proposes ending road tests for seniors. “I am planning to move forward; so far I’ve still only had one person express concern,” she noted.
Keicher wants to build consensus with senior advocates and safety experts on an appropriate policy.
“Discussion is ongoing,” he said.
Numerous senior drivers contacted the Daily Herald about the issue with a majority opposed to exams.
“Whoever passed this discriminatory law had no knowledge of senior drivers’ habits and the effect such a test would have on their health/psyche,” Sandra Lemke of Huntley said.
“Older seniors only drive in a short radius of their homes (for) groceries, doctor visits, church, etc. Seniors are not party hopping, texting while driving, driving in bad weather, and driving at night.”
Meanwhile, expert opinion on senior driver safety is contradictory. A recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report found a steep rise in fatal crash rates per miles traveled for elderly drivers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 7,489 people age 65 and older were killed in crashes in 2021, which is 17% of all traffic fatalities.