Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Giannoulias-Drafted Bill Would Establish Procedures to Report Unsafe Drivers; Calls for Increasing Behind-the-Wheel Driving Test Age
Legislation championed by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias calling for enhanced safeguards to bolster road safety while increasing the age at which Illinois drivers must take a behind-the-wheel driving test from 79 to 87 passed a Senate committee today.
The legislation, supported by AARP Illinois, passed the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee by a unanimous vote. The bill, which the Illinois House approved last month, now awaits a full vote in the Senate Chamber.
HB 1226, or the Road Safety & Fairness Act, seeks to align Illinois driving standards with the rest of the nation. Its chief sponsors are State Representative Jay Hoffman (113th District – Belleville) and State Senator Ram Villivalam (8th District – Chicago), who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. If signed into law, the legislation would take effect on July 1, 2026.
“Every decision we make is data-driven, and on this topic the data is clear: seniors are among the safest drivers of any age category,” Giannoulias said. “Aligning Illinois senior driving standards with the rest of the nation will remove an unnecessary burden for seniors while new reporting procedures will keep Illinois roads safe and accessible.”
“The data clearly shows that older drivers are safer drivers. Singling them out to take an extra test is a type of age discrimination that must end,” said Ryan Gruenenfelder, Senior Director of Advocacy and Outreach at AARP Illinois. “We have heard from our members for years about how the driving test requirement perpetuates false narratives about their driving abilities. We urge the Illinois Senate to pass this legislation to bring Illinois requirements in line with every other state.”
“This measure will align Illinois senior driving standards with the rest of the nation while increasing safeguards so that Illinois remains among the strictest states for road safety,” Villivalam said. “It’s time to adjust this unnecessary and burdensome requirement unfairly placed on our state’s safest drivers.”
“A birthday is not an accurate gauge of one’s ability to get behind the wheel safely. Driving ability and medical health should serve as the determining factors,” said Hoffman. “Allowing immediate relatives – who have the most consistent interactions with their loved ones – to report medical concerns about a licensed driver is a more effective approach to maintaining road safety.”
The legislation calls for establishing new procedures aimed at preventing unsafe motorists – regardless of age – from driving. If a motorist’s driving skills begin to significantly decline or cognitive or medical issues get in the way of safe driving, the measure enables immediate relatives to request that the Secretary of State’s office review a submitted written report.
If the report review finds that the claims are credible, the driver would be required to submit a medical reevaluation report and/or undergo retesting (written, vision and behind-the-wheel tests) to retain their license.
Under the proposed legislation, behind-the-wheel driving test requirements would be amended as follows:
- Drivers ages 79 and 80 would still be required to visit a DMV facility if they need to renew their driver’s license and take a vision test (and a written test if a driving violation exists) but would not have to take a driving test.
- Drivers between the ages of 81 and 86 would still be required to visit a DMV facility to renew their license every two years, which is a shorter renewal period than most drivers, which is every four years. They would still be required to take a vision test (and a written test if a driving violation exists) but would not have to take a driving test.
- 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. A written exam may be required depending on the individual’s driving record. The law governing this age group would not change under the new law.
Illinois is currently one of only five states that do not allow immediate family members to report concerns about a relative’s driving ability. In addition, Illinois is the only state in the nation that requires a behind-the-wheel driving test for seniors based on age.
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 range.
Latest statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation (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.
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