In Michigan, residents 65 and older represent the fastest-growing segment of the state’s population. And as that number grows, so does the number of car crashes involving seniors, and that’s raising safety concerns among some state officials.

Now, one state lawmaker is proposing a bill that would require older drivers to pass additional tests to keep their licenses.

Read on for the details.

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By Capital News Service

As Michigan’s population ages, the number of motor vehicle crashes involving older drivers is on the rise.

Now, legislation would impose age-based regulations.

A new bill introduced by Sen. Rosemary Bayer, D-West Bloomfield, would require drivers aged 75 and older to take vision, written knowledge and driving skills tests to renew their license.

Applicants would have to appear at a Secretary of State branch office every four years for the screening process. For those 85 and older, the same would be required every year.

Bayer said her office began working on the issue shortly after a fatal car accident in 2024, when a Novi woman died after she was run over by a 94-year-old Milford Township driver.

“Her husband called us,” Bayer said. The man “basically begged us to put some legislation in place” to prevent future incidents and protect others from people who are too old to drive.

“So, we did,” Bayer said.

Want deeper coverage of Michigan politics? Our free Thursday newsletter, This Week in Michigan Politics, breaks down what’s happening in Lansing and Washington—clearly and without the jargon.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with a feature story from Capital News Service. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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