Should Maine Follow Illinois and Require a Senior Driving Test?

Another year, another declaration that Maine has the oldest population in the country. The average age of Maine residents is a whopping 45 years old, and predictions for how Maine will age over the next decade are grim.

The Administration for Community Living predicts that approximately one-third of Maine's population will be 60 or older by the year 2030. That will leave a staggering amount of elderly people in the state working into their later years. That also means they're likely to be driving, which remains a double-edged sword.

There's another state in the nation that has been aging nearly as much as Maine over the past couple decades. That state would be Illinois, where residents 60 years or older now make up more than 20% of the state's population.

Illinois lawmakers have been proactive in recent years, attempting to protect seniors from themselves as well as other people. Specifically, seniors behind the wheel of cars.

Illinois passed a first-of-its-kind law that requires a mandatory road test for senior citizens. Just like those harrowing days as a teenager attempting to ace an exam and obtain their license, seniors are required to pass that same basic driving test to ensure they're capable and safe while operating a vehicle.

According to the FW, the Illinois senior driving exam is required for people starting at age 79. As residents continue to age, they'll need to pass that driving exam every two years to retain their license.

Many residents felt like the law was unfair to the elderly. But data shows that drivers in the oldest age group in Illinois have now been involved in the second-fewest accidents in the state over the last several years.

READ MORE: Some Drivers on the Maine Turnpike Are Getting an EZ Pass Discount

Could Maine adopt a similar law? Would it be beneficial to drivers 79 and older to be reminded of what the rules of the road are?