IL Secretary of State bill to raise mandatory drivers test age for seniors heads to the Governor's office

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A plan to increase the mandatory test for senior drivers passes unanimously out of the Illinois Senate on Thursday.

The bill would increase the mandatory test age from 79 to 87. It would also allow Illinoisan to report their family members of any age if they believe they should not be allowed on the road.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias in a press conference said this age group are the states safest drivers.

"When was the last time you saw a senior citizen gunning it past you checking her social media going 100 miles an hour?" Giannoulias said. "I mean the data an anecdotally the evidence bears out that senior citizens tend to be safe drivers."

The plan received bipartisan support, with state Sen. Donald DeWitte (R-West Dundee) saying this is one of the biggest concerns lawmakers received from their constituents.

"It broke my heart to take calls from senior residents you know life is tough enough for our seniors, but the phone calls we got who were required to show up year after year particularly during COVID," DeWitte said. "This really removes the discrimination component and I think this is a great move forward."

With the policy passing the Senate, it will now head to the Governor's office where it could possibly be signed into law.