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Illinois, in the United States, approved a law that eliminates the practical driving test for renewing the driver’s license of a specific group of older drivers. The measure, included in the Road Safety & Fairness Act, went into effect on July 1.
The Illinois Secretary of State, Alexi Giannoulias, confirmed that the new regulation replaces the practical test with an eye exam for those who qualify. The organization AARP Illinois also backed the law, which seeks to update renewal criteria based on actual driving ability and not just age.
Who does the law exempt from taking the driving test?
The benefit applies to drivers between 79 and 86 years old. Under the previous regulation, this group had to pass a practical behind-the-wheel test in addition to the eye exam to renew their driver’s license.
Drivers aged 87 or older are excluded from the benefit and will have to keep taking the practical driving test, as established by the regulation in place before this law.
The renewal frequency also changes according to age:
- Drivers aged 79 and 80: every four years
- Drivers aged 81 to 86: every two years
- Drivers aged 87 or older: annual renewal
How does this change affect the driver’s license?
For the drivers who qualify, the renewal process becomes faster and more accessible, since they will only have to pass the eye exam without undergoing the practical driving evaluation.
Giannoulias stated that older Illinois drivers show a good road safety record, so the law seeks to ease a burden considered unnecessary without giving up safety checks for the rest of road users.