Official says behind-the-wheel testing age should remain 79

The Illinois secretary of state’s office is recommending that a pandemic-driven state law that raised the minimum age for required behind-the-wheel driving tests for license renewals from 75 to 79 be made permanent, citing statistics showing accidents for that age group have remained low.

The law raising the age was passed in 2021 and was set to expire Oct. 1. A study compiled by the secretary of state’s office showed the rate of traffic crashes in Illinois in 2022 involving motorists age 75 and older was nearly identical to the year before, indicating there is no reason for the state to return to the minimum age of 75 for mandatory road testing.

“Statistics show that our senior drivers are among the safest drivers in the state,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly. “This report indicates that by raising the minimum age requiring drivers to complete a driving test, there is ‘no immediate threat to…