STORY PRODUCED BY CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE
LANSING – 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.
Drafting the legislation took time, because her office went back-and-forth with the Secretary of State’s office to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution, she said.
However, they couldn’t come to an agreement, which Bayer said was largely due to cost. Any changes – even at the “lowest end of the spectrum of solutions” – would cost the state at least $6 million a year.
“They just didn’t want to do it – bottom line,” Bayer said. “So we decided we were going to introduce it anyway because we do need something in place.”
In Michigan, those 65 and older represented 12.2% of drivers in all crashes and 18.7% in all fatal crashes in 2024, according to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts.
And the trend is rising: While there were 48,615 drivers aged 65 and older involved in all crashes in 2015, the number was 59,183 in 2024 – an increase of 21.7%.
For fatal crashes, the age group’s involvement increased by 70.6% during the same period. In 2024, there were 307 older drivers involved in these incidents compared to 180 in 2015.
“Safety problems for the older driver are directly tied to the aging process, including changes in vision, hearing, medication, cognition and physical condition, which all contribute to driving errors,” a Michigan Traffic Crash Facts report said.
In Michigan, residents 65 and older represent the fastest-growing segment of the state’s population, and there are now over 1.8 million licensed drivers in that age group, according to the Department of State.
Currently, all Michigan drivers – regardless of age – follow the same license renewal process, while many other states enforce renewal provisions specific to older drivers.
These include shorter renewal cycles, in-person rather than mail or electronic applications, vision exams and driving tests. However, the ages at which special regulations are required vary by state.
For example, take Michigan’s neighbor Indiana.
While drivers under 75 must renew their license every six years, those 75 to 84 must go through the process every three years and those above 85 every two years. Plus, drivers 75 and older must submit a vision screening to renew online.
Illinois goes a step further.
In addition to shorter renewal periods and mandatory in-person visits, older drivers must take a driving test to renew their license. The age required for the test was recently raised from 79 to 87.
But even with the adjustment, Illinois is “the toughest in the nation when it comes to renewing driver’s licenses,” said an Illinois Secretary of State press release. It’s currently the only state requiring a behind-the-wheel driving test specifically for seniors.
With Bayer’s bill, Michigan could be the second.
In general, Bayer said the requirements she proposed are more stringent than in other states.
“It is the most strict level of oversight, so there is plenty of room for negotiation,” she said.
But after no success persuading the Secretary of State’s office, Bayer said that introducing the bill was a move to find other supporters and accomplish the task through a more public way.
With some outside pressure on the office, “there might be more motivation to do something different,” she said.
Sam May, the press secretary at the Secretary of State’s office, said the agency doesn’t have a position on Bayer’s bill.
However, the bill will likely face some opposition, because not everyone supports age-based provisions for older drivers.
For example, AAA Michigan in Dearborn advocates for safer mobility for drivers of all ages, including seniors.
But Adrienne Woodland, a public relations program consultant, said that AAA opposes the use of age alone for appraising driver competence.
That includes using age as a determining factor in the selection of drivers for reexamination. “There is no specific age any one person is unsafe on the road,” she said.
AARP Michigan wants to help people drive safely for as long as possible, senior communications manager Cathleen Simlar said. AARP provides self-assessment tools for older drivers to make informed decisions about their driving.
“For many older adults, driving represents independence and connection to their community,” Simlar said. When people stop driving, it can make it harder for them to reach medical appointments, grocery stores and social activities.
“AARP believes that driver safety policies should focus on ability rather than age alone,” she said.
But Bayer said, “That is the point of the driving test.” It would determine whether a person is fit to drive should, which should alleviate any concern about age-based restrictions.
However, while some people will be concerned about losing personal rights, the core issue will come down to costs: Driving tests are expensive, and her bill would cost the state over $6 million every year, Bayer said.
The bill was referred to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.