Bill to end senior road tests for 86 and younger, allow reporting of unsafe drivers clears Senate committee
Legislation relaxing rules for unpopular senior road exams cleared a key Senate committee Tuesday.
The policy raises the age for mandatory driving tests from 79 to 87 and also allows family members to report unsafe drivers.
Members of the Senate Transportation Committee unanimously approved the change.
The proposal will not only keep roads safe but “finally align Illinois with every other state in America that has already taken these steps on behalf of their citizens,” said Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who has spearheaded the legislation.
He noted the crash rate for motorists age 75 and older is 24.61 per 1,000 drivers, lower than every other age range.
“It’s the safest category of drivers in the state,” Giannoulias said at a briefing in Springfield.
The redo comes after myriad seniors protested against Illinois being the only state with road tests for older drivers, which they characterized as onerous age discrimination.
“We need to ensure that processes, such as renewing a license, continue to be accessible to all, especially for those who pose the least amount of risk to other drivers,” said Senate Transportation Committee Chair Ram Villivalam, a Chicago Democrat.
One significant element of the bill provides a way for immediate relatives of unsafe drivers, regardless of age, to report problems to the secretary of state’s office. Issues could be a decline in driving skills or cognitive or medical issues.
If officials find the concerns are credible, a driver would need to submit a medical evaluation and/or undergo written, vision and behind-the-wheel tests to keep their license.
Currently, Illinois is one of five states that doesn’t allow relatives to report health concerns about drivers.
“It would take a crash or traffic-related incident for police to start the process to revoke a license based on medical issues,” Giannoulias said.
AARP Illinois officials said the changes recognize that today’s older adults are living longer, healthier lives and maintaining their driving skills well into their 80s.
No date has been set for a vote by the full Senate. The House unanimously voted for the bill on April 9.
Current law requires drivers aged 79 and 80 to take a road exam when their four-year license renewal is up. For drivers aged 81 to 86, it’s every two years, and for those 87 and older, it’s yearly.
The new legislation would maintain that drivers ages 81 through 86 would not need a road exam to renew their license but must take a vision test. Renewals are in-person, every two years.
Rules for drivers ages 87 and older would stay the same, with a road exam and a vision test required annually.
Asked about the policy last month, Senate President Don Harmon said, “I certainly support allowing qualified seniors to be treated the same. I just want to make sure the roads stay safe.”