Giannoulias and AARP Illinois Push Legislation to Lessen Testing for Senior Drivers

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has drafted bipartisan legislation in collaboration with AARP Illinois to increase the age at which Illinois drivers must take a behind-the-wheel driving test from 79 to 87, while implementing new procedures to allow intermediate relatives to report unsafe drivers.

Illinois is currently the only state in the nation that requires a behind-the-wheel driving test for seniors based on age. In addition, Illinois is one of only five states that do not allow immediate family members to report concerns about a relative's driving ability.

Latest statistics from IDOT reveal that in 2023, the crash rate for drivers 75 and older is 24.61 per 1,000 drivers, which is lower than every age range of drivers between 16 and 74 years old.

House Bill 1226, or the Road Safety and Fairness Act, would make Illinois consistent with other states. Accompanying legislation will also be drafted in the Illinois Senate.

There would still be provisions to insure aging drivers are capable drivers.

For more than a dozen years, Illinois has been the only state in the nation that requires senior drivers to have their behind-the-wheel skills tested on a regular basis.

A temporary measure sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic that raised the age of mandatory driving tests from 75 to 79 became permanent in 2024 after an office-commissioned study found no significant increases in crashes per licensed driver in each affected age group.