Illinois Lawmakers Might End Driving Tests For Senior Citizens

Senior citizens are statistically the safest drivers in Illinois, but does that mean they should be opted out of retesting their ability to be behind the wheel?

Not going to lie, this sounds kind of concerning.

Driving tests are crucial for assessing the ability of any person to drive safely.  As we all get older, we have to take into account the natural decline in physical and cognitive abilities that can affect our driving skills.

Read More: Everything Left Behind At This Abandoned Illinois Shopping Mall

Originally, lawmakers considered permanently increasing the mandatory age for senior citizens in Illinois to take driving tests from 75 to 79.  Now, they could go away with it altogether.

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Illinois Lawmakers Might Ending Driving Tests For Senior Citizens

A Republican State Representative, Jeff Keicher of Sycamore, said it's "discriminatory" to have senior citizens retest simply because of their age.

“Anybody out there who’s listening to this right now can recognize the number of unsafe drivers that we’ve seen on the roadways, especially since COVID,” Keicher said.  He goes on to say many dangerous drivers are young people who are texting behind the wheel, insinuating they're more accident-prone over senior citizens.

Related: Illinois Bill Could End Ridiculously High Auto Insurance Rates

To ensure older drivers are treated fairly when renewing their license, do you think drivers with records of traffic tickets and car accidents should be required to retest?  That's what the proposal would allow if it gets passed.

I'm on the fence about this because this law is in place for not just the safety of the driver, but other motorists around them.