Drivers 75 years old and over would face testing to keep on driving under a bill proposed in the Michigan Senate.
The proposal from Democratic state Sen. Rosemary Bayer means that, if passed, every four years a driver of 75 would need to pass a vision exam, a written driving rules test, and a driving skills test to get a license or renew one, according to Click on Detroit.
At the age of 85, those requirements kick in annually.
Many seniors did not like the concept.
“I don’t know if I’m too happy about this,” Pea Gee, who is almost 70, told the outlet. “It is not the older people that generate a lot of these accidents, it’s the younger drivers.”
“You have a lot of older people, such as myself we see well, we hear well, we can drive, and we’re mentally focused because we’re not texting,” Gee added.
Stephen Rogers said testing might be appropriate, but testing drivers 85 and over every year was not necessary.
“I think that would be overkill,” Rogers said. “I think that’s quite a bit too much. I think it’s a ‘if you can’t get them that way, you get them this way.’ I don’t agree with that.”
“I think that if they want to pass that type of bill, it should be passed for everybody,” Sharon Mann, another older driver, said. “It should not be based on a particular person’s age but maybe on their physical or mental abilities, which would be assessed by a professional.”
Linda Burge, 87, however, backs the idea.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Burge said, according to WTVG-TV. “I would rather somebody tell me I wasn’t able to drive than have an accident and be responsible for it.”
Bayer said the bill was inspired after an incident in which a 94-year-old driver hit and killed a constituent of hers, according to The Detroit News.
She said the law targets a common issue in families with older drivers.
Many Michiganders have been driving since they were teens, and probably couldn’t imagine not being able to get behind the wheel, but one lawmaker is proposing a measure that could see keys taken away from some older drivers. https://t.co/wF9960m6q8
— KFOX14 News (@KFOX14) March 26, 2026
“I’ve heard so many stories now since I started talking about it; it’s everywhere,” Bayer said. “It’s really hard for a person to get their parent to stop driving. It’s so hard.”
The American Association for Retired People Michigan is not on board.
“Michigan should focus on individualized, evidence‑based approaches — such as reviewing driving records or addressing specific medical concerns — rather than policies that restrict independence, limit access to essential services, and discriminate against older residents,” Jason Lachowski, associate state director for AARP Michigan, said.
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