Michigan Bill Would Require Seniors to Regularly Re-Take Their Drivers’ Tests. A controversial new Michigan bill would require seniors to prove they’re road-ready as often as once a year — even as advocates argue that policymakers should look beyond age to determine who’s really safe behind the wheel. People who turn 75 years old in the Wolverine State would need to pass written and on-road driving skills tests every four years, in addition to vision tests that are common in other states. At 85 years old, they would need to clear those hurdles every year.

What To Know

The bill would create the toughest senior licensing laws in the nation. Illinois is currently the only state that requires any kind of repeat road test for elderly motorists — and it recently increased its testing threshold from 79 to 87 years old, with options for drivers with clean records to opt for a written test instead.

The Michigan bill took inspiration from the death of Sarah Thexton, whom a 94-year-old motorist struck and killed in 2024. The driver hit Thexton’s vehicle, and then inadvertently accelerated into the 59-year-old victim after she exited her car to assess the damage.

Some street safety advocates have focused on changing license laws to put more scrutiny on older drivers. But others caution against assuming seniors are more dangerous behind the wheel — and want to make sure elders can get around without driving instead.

Reaction from Seniors to the Michigan Bill

I don’t know if I’m too happy about this,” said Pea Gee, who is almost 70 and was playing cards with a group of people 60 and older when asked about the proposal. “It is not the older people that generate a lot of these accidents, it’s the younger drivers.”

Stephen Rogers said he does not oppose testing after a certain age, but he didn’t like the idea of people 85 and older having to pass three tests each year.

The age range for younger drivers, however, is significantly narrower than that of the 65-and-older group, making direct comparisons less straightforward.

Some older residents argue that if lawmakers want to tighten licensing requirements for safety reasons, those changes should apply to everyone.

Why Age is Part of the Discussion

Research cited by federal safety agencies has identified age-related changes that can affect driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that “older drivers have higher crash death rates per mile traveled than middle-aged drivers,” and notes that changes in vision, cognition, and reaction time can influence driving ability.

At the same time, the agency also reports that older adults tend to drive fewer miles than younger drivers.

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