>> TREVOR >> 75 YEARS AND OLDER ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY 8% OF ILLINOIS DRIVERS AND ARE AMONG THE SAFEST ON THE ROAD.

ACCORDING TO A REPORT FROM THE ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.

GET ILLINOIS IS THE ONLY STATE IN THE COUNTRY REQUIRE BEHIND THE WHEEL ROAD TEST FOR SENIORS RENEWING THEIR LICENSES, PROPOSED LEGISLATION IN SPRINGFIELD IS LOOKING TO ELIMINATE THIS MANDATE DESPITE CONFLICTING RESEARCH FROM SOME NATIONAL SAFETY GROUPS.

AND JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE RYAN GRUDEN FELDER, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH FOR AARP, ILLINOIS STATE REPRESENTATIVE JEFF KIGER, A REPUBLICAN FROM SYCAMORE AND RYAN PH THE PROGRAM, TECHNICAL CONSULTANT FOR DRIVER SAFETY, EDUCATION AND TRAINING AT THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL.

WELCOME ALL 3 OF YOU HERE TO CHICAGO TONIGHT.

REPRESENTATIVE KIKER, THIS IS YOUR PROPOSAL.

WHILE EMANATE THE DRIVING TEST FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OVER 75.

>> SIMPLE ANSWER IS IT'S IT'S A JUST AND IT DOESN'T GET TO THE HEART OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE HAVING.

I THINK ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO'S LISTENING THIS RIGHT NOW RECOGNIZE THE NUMBER OF UNSAFE DRIVERS THAT WE'VE SEEN ON THE ROADWAYS, ESPECIALLY SINCE COVID AND MANY OF THEM ARE YOUNGER DRIVERS TEXTING AND SWERVING.

YOU KNOW, SENIORS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VOLUME, JUST DON'T HAVE THE ACCIDENT TENDENCIES AT THE VOLUME THAT WE DO IT.

YOUNGER DRIVERS.

AND AS YOU SAID, PARIS, ILLINOIS IS THE ONLY STATE THAT SUBJECT SENIOR SAYS VERY ONEROUS PROCESS.

>> AND IF WE CAN MAKE THE DMV VISIT A LITTLE BIT EASIER, A LITTLE BIT LESS ONEROUS.

>> I THINK THAT'S HELPING EVERYBODY OUT.

ALRIGHT, TO RYAN GRUDEN FELDER A COMMON COMPLAINT FROM SENIORS THAT THERE'S JUST A LOT OF BARRIERS FOR THEM TO GO RENEW THEIR LICENSES.

>> IT ABSOLUTELY IS.

AARP, ILLINOIS IS 1.7 MILLION MEMBERS IN THE STATE.

AND THIS ISSUE IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE HEAR MOST ABOUT FROM OUR MEMBERSHIP.

>> THEY ARE SHOCKED AND REPRESENT COUNTRY SAID THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THIS IS AGE DISCRIMINATION.

THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THEY HAVE TO GO IN THAT AS THE ONLY STATE IN THE NATION TO HAVE TO TAKE THAT ROAD TEST EVERY TIME THEY HAVE TO RENEW THEIR LICENSE.

>> ALL RIGHT, PETE, WE MENTIONED STATISTICS THAT SHOW SENIORS TO BE AMONG THE SAFEST DRIVERS ON THE ROAD.

DO THOSE NUMBERS TELL THE WHOLE STORY HERE?

>> PROBABLY THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL.

WE WILL PRIMARILY AT NATIONWIDE NUMBERS.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT ILLINOIS S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LEGISLATION LIKE THIS.

VERY IMPORTANT.

BUT WHAT WE FIND IS IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT THE RATE, SO THE RATE OF INCIDENT FOR THOSE DRIVERS AGE, 75 AND OVER WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TYPE OF INCIDENT.

SO YOUR TEENAGE DRIVER FOR MOST OFTEN, THE ONES INVOLVED IN CRASHES INVOLVING A SINGLE VEHICLE.

HOWEVER, YOU'RE ELDERLY DRIVERS AND THOSE OVER 75 ARE THE ONES THERE 2 TIMES AS LIKELY TO BE INVOLVED IN A CRASH WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE.

AND THAT'S WITH 5 ON THE ROADWAYS IN THAT'S THAT'S TROUBLESOME FOR ME.

SO THERE IS A LITTLE BIT WAYS.

YOU CAN LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OVERALL.

THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL IS NOT.

WE DON'T WE'RE NOT SAYING WE'RE DISAGREEING WITH THIS LANGUAGE AT ALL.

WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ALWAYS PREVENT UNNECESSARY RESTRICTIVE PRACTICES ON THE BASIS OF AGE ALONE.

AND WE'VE TRULY BELIEVE IN THE SAME SYSTEMS APPROACH AND WE SHOULD PROVIDE FOR MULTIPLE DISCIPLINED APPROACH, WHICH ADDRESSES ALL ELEMENTS OF DRIVER SAFETY, INCLUDING EDUCATION, EDUCATING PEOPLE SAYS NEW NEW VEHICLES.

THINK ABOUT THE CARS ON THE ROAD TODAY VERSUS WHAT THEY WERE WHEN THESE DRIVERS PER STARTED DRIVING.

SO IT'S NOT ONLY THE DRIVERS LIKE SOMETHING, BUT THAT'S ONE ELEMENT IT.

BUT IT'S EDUCATION.

IT'S SAFER ROADWAYS AND ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE.

SO SAFEST APPROACH IS REALLY WAY WHAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT HERE.

>> REPRESENTATIVE KIKER, AS I UNDERSTAND YOUR LEGISLATION, THERE MIGHT BE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WOULD TRIGGER A DRIVING TEST TO SAY THAT THE DRIVER'S RECORD HAS, YOU KNOW, HISTORY OF ACCIDENTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT THAT ASPECT OF IT?

>> ABSOLUTELY PARA.

THINK ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS SYSTEM WHERE WE ALLOW PEOPLE TO DRIVE ON THE ROAD BY GETTING LICENSE RIGHT.

AND WHAT WE DON'T DO ENOUGH IS WE DON'T HOLD THOSE ACCOUNTABLE.

WE'RE HAVING THE TICKETS AND THE ACCIDENTS TO SHOWING DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE DRIVERS.

AND I REALLY THINK THAT REGARDLESS OF AGE, THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSED ADDRESSING WITH DRIVER TESTS.

IMAGINE EVERY 2 YEARS NEEDING TO GO AND RENEW YOUR LICENSE BY DOING A DRIVER'S TEST.

AND ONCE YOU GET OVER CERTAIN AGE, IT'S EVERY YEARS SITTING BEHIND THE WHEEL.

THE TIME THAT IT TAKES THE EFFORT THAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE TO GET THE TIME SLOT.

WE'VE ALL WAITED IN LINES AT THE DMV AND WE HAVE TO FIND PEOPLE THAT WORK AT THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE IN THESE FACILITIES.

NOTHING AGAINST THEM.

BUT THIS SHOULD PROBABLY EASE THEIR BURDEN.

MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER AND REALLY GO AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A HIGHER PROPENSITY CAUSE ADDITIONAL ACCIDENTS BECAUSE THOSE THAT DO HAVE AN ACCIDENT ARE MORE LIKELY TO REPEAT AN ACCIDENT.

SO IF WE CAN PUT THAT METRIC IN PLACE OR REGARDLESS OF AGE, I THINK WE'RE MAKING ILLINOIS ROADS SAFER, STATE AND TO STATE >> RYAN GRANT FELDER.

I MEAN, IS IT FAIR TO HAVE THINGS LIKE VISION TESTS OR AGAIN, LIKE WE SAID, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT A DRIVER'S RECORD WHEN SOMEONE GETS UP THERE TO BE, YOU KNOW, 80 85 YEARS OLD BEYOND.

>> IT IS FAIR.

WE DO SUPPORT THOSE FUNCTIONAL ABILITY TESTS.

THAT'S WHAT COMES DOWN TO IT.

BUT THIS LEGISLATION, BASED THE LAW, THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN CURRENTLY IS BASED ON AGE.

IF WE CAN GET 12 ILLINOIS TO WHERE DRIVERS LICENSE RENEWALS ARE BASED ON FUNCTIONAL ABILITY.

AND THAT INCLUDES THE VISION TESTS YOU KNOW, WHATEVER OTHER TESTS, THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE REQUIRES TO GET THAT LICENSE, THEN THAT IS ACHIEVING OUR OBJECTIVE HERE.

AND IT WILL MAKE SURE THAT OLDER DRIVERS ILLINOIS ARE TREATED FAIRLY AS ALL THE REST >> RYAN PH 20 REALLY GOOD AND YEAH, GO AHEAD.

YEAH.

IF I COULD THROW THIS INTO WHAT WE PRESENTED AND RYAN AND I AND AARP HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT PARTNERS WITH ME.

TRYING TO GET THIS A MODIFIED.

>> WHAT WE HAVE TODAY ISN'T NECESSARILY THE FINAL PRODUCT AND WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PIECE OF LEGISLATION IN PLACE SO THAT WE DO PROTECT ALL OF ILLINOIS DRIVERS AND HAVE SAFE ROADS.

SO GATHERING IMPACT.

IF YOU IF FOLKS OUT THERE WOULD REACH OUT TO AARP OR I'VE GOT A CONTACT FORM ON REP HIKER DOT COM AND SHARE WITH US YOUR IDEAS.

SHARE WITH US YOUR INSIGHT.

WE DON'T HAVE A A PATENT ON BEST IDEAS IN THE STATE.

SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO SOLVING THIS PROBLEM.

>> RYAN WHAT WHAT?

WHAT WOULD BE SOME THINGS THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE PERHAPS CHANGE THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION OR OTHER SUGGESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.

>> I THINK IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A CHAIN THAT I DO BELIEVE THEY'VE DONE A NICE JOB OF LOOKING AT SOME OF THE DATA, ESPECIALLY SINCE COVID.

REALLY?

THAT'S WHAT THAT THAT WAS.

THE TEST PILOT TIME FRAME, RIGHT?

SO THAT'S IMPORTANT.

BUT REMEMBER THAT ONE YEAR IS NOT A SO WE MUST KEEP AN EYE ON THIS NO MATTER WHAT THE STATE DECIDES TO BUT WE MUST CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THIS.

EVEN WE DO GO AHEAD WITH THIS LEGISLATION AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE CHANGING AS WE GET DRIVERS ENCRYPT AND START GETTING INTO THIS.

75 PLUS, BECAUSE WE WE ANTICIPATE AN INFLUX TO RESET.

75 YEAR-OLD A RATE IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS.

SO THAT WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S EDUCATION ON IT.

AND I CAN'T STRESS THAT ENOUGH.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EDUCATING PEOPLE.

AND I KNOW OUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND I KNOW IN ILLINOIS FOR A FACT, MANY OF THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ARE TAKING AND USING THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN THEY REACH A CERTAIN AGE, LIKE 70 YEARS OLD IN MANY STATES, 65 IN MANY STATES TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO FAMILY MEMBERS TO THOSE THOSE DRIVERS THAT ARE REACHING THOSE AGE MILE MARKERS.

BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THAT WE PROVIDE RESOURCES TO PEOPLE SO THEY CAN MIGHT THEIR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT DRIVING.

GOT