Changes to driving and license rules and regulations are constantly under review and subject to updates. This is largely due to lawmakers responding not only to the realities on the road, which are constantly subject to new challenges and concerns by road users, but also to ensure that that the safety of road users remains an utmost priority. Recently, this one state has made significant updates to their policies surrounding their license renewal age specifically for seniors.
New road changes constantly in progress
This year has welcomed a host of new changes across states regarding road traffic policies and regulations. From changing speeding limits to the implementation of automated camera technology, these initiatives are all part of ensuring that traffic continues to flow smoothly with limited incidents occurring. Going into effect this year, automated camera technology in particular has held the spotlight, in addition to states cracking down harder on penalties for breaking speed limits.
Changes across states regarding traffic regulations include the following:
- North Dakota will be raising the interstate speed limit from 75mph to 80mph from August 1
- The City of Oakland will be implementing automated speeding cameras across 18 locations over the fall and winter season this year
- In June of this year, a court in California ruled that the state’s distracted driving laws extend to also not being allowed to hold your phone in your hand when driving
One significant change which went into effect this month was in Florida, whereby drivers who are caught excessively speeding, which is defined as anything over 50mph over the speed limit, will have to not only pay a $500 fine if convicted, but will also have to spend 30-days in jail.
New license age laws for seniors in this state
If you are a senior citizen who is a resident of the state of Illinois, new legislation has recently been signed into effect regarding the mandatory age you will have to take a license renewal exam. Currently, Illinois requires all drivers over the age of 65 to take a mandatory license renewal exam at 79 years old. However, House Bill 1226 in the Illinois General Assembly was recently passed by the House and has been sent to Governor JB Pritzker to be signed into effect. The new bill will see the mandatory license renewal age be increased from 79 to 87.n
The law currently states that at 79 years old, senior drivers must take a driving test to renew their license. Between the age of 81 to 86, drivers must then again take a driving test every two years to renew their license with drivers who are 87 years and older required to retake the driving test every year henceforth.
No more driving tests for this group
Once Pritzker signs the new bill into law, only the requirement for drivers 87 years and older to take the annual driving exam will remain. Drivers who are 79 to 86 years old will only be required to take a vision exam. Additionally, the new bill will allow for a spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of any Illinois driver to submit medical information about the driver to the secretary of state if they have reason to believe that the driver’s medical condition interferes with their driving abilities.
To date, Illinois is the only state in the nation which requires senior citizens to undertake a driving test to renew their license. While not eliminating this practice entirely, the new bill seeks to reflect the reality of state data which showcases how senior citizens tend to have lower crash rates than younger drivers. The low crash rate, which was sitting at 24.61 per 1,000 drivers in 2023 as per the Secretary of State’s Office’s 2023 Study on Age-Related Driving Abilities has remained consistent since 2018.
