WPBN: According to a piece of proposed legislation that has the support of Alexi Giannoulias, the Secretary of State of Illinois, older drivers might not be required to take road tests as frequently.
The purpose of House Bill 1226, which was submitted on Thursday, is to relax the laws that govern the renewal of licenses for drivers who are 79 years old or older.
In order to renew their license and undergo an eye exam, drivers who are 79 or 80 years old would be required to visit the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), but they would not be required to complete a road test.
During the period of time between the ages of 81 and 86, the same renewal process would be required every two years. After a motorist reaches the age of 87, they will be required to pass a road test in order to continue driving.
In the event that this modification is passed into law, it would mean that road tests would be eight years behind the existing norm.
Burgess Driving School, located in East Peoria, is owned and operated by Doug Burgess, who provides professional driving training to both high school students and adults.
Especially in light of the fact that there have been cases in which senior folks have been responsible for tragic accidents, Burgess recognized that there may be some people who believe there should be an age limit for licensed drivers.
One of the incidents that he mentioned occurred in March of 2024, when a man who was 97 years old ran a red light on Route 29 in Chillicothe. This resulted in a collision that resulted in the death of the driver as well as two other people.
Because additional restrictions do not necessarily result in fewer accidents, Burgess stated that there is no straightforward answer to the question of how frequently road tests should be necessary.
“In my opinion, age is not a hazard. There is no age that all of a sudden someone’s skills diminish,” Burgess stated. “It depends on the person. It depends on their skill level to start. It depends on their attention, and how focused they are as a driver.”
The following statement was the one that Giannoulias sent:
“Seniors are among the safest drivers of any age category. This measure will align Illinois senior driving standards with the rest of the nation while increasing safeguards so that Illinois maintains its status as one of the strictest states when it comes to driver safety and license renewals.”
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According to Giannoulias, only Illinois mandates age-based road examinations. Federal data from 2023 supports that assertion.
Seniors are less likely than any other age group to be involved in fatal collisions, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This bill was sponsored by state legislators from both parties.
Although he sees both sides, state representative Travis Weaver (R-Edwards) stated that he is not against it.
“One component I might suggest adding to this bill is if folks are already having an annual physical, we can just have their doctor submit a vision and hearing test,” Weaver stated. “That way we can confirm their vision and hearing is continuing to be as we need it to be for drivers to be safe on the road, while also not making folks get into the DMV for an annual renewal.”
Although Weaver has not yet decided how he would vote, he believes that if the bill is passed into law, it may result in reduced traffic at the DMV and a more efficient procedure for drivers.
The bill is still in its infancy. The motion will then be reviewed by the House Rules Committee.
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