{"id":2587132,"date":"2026-04-04T12:44:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T16:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senior-drivers-in-michigan-could-be-forced-back-into-the-testing-lane-to-renew-their-licenses\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T12:48:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T16:48:41","slug":"senior-drivers-in-michigan-could-be-forced-back-into-the-testing-lane-to-renew-their-licenses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senior-drivers-in-michigan-could-be-forced-back-into-the-testing-lane-to-renew-their-licenses\/","title":{"rendered":"Senior Drivers in Michigan Could Be Forced Back Into the Testing Lane to Renew Their Licenses"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsenior-drivers-in-michigan-could-be-forced-back-into-the-testing-lane-to-renew-their-licenses%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2587132&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Michigan is considering a bill that would require drivers aged 75 and older to pass a vision exam, a driving rules test, and a driving skills test every four years to obtain or renew a license, with those aged 85 and older facing annual tests. The measure, proposed by Democratic state sen. Rosemary Bayer, is prompted by concerns about safety after crashes involving older drivers. Reactions are mixed: some seniors support testing as a safety measure, while others fear it would be overkill or limit independence; some advocate for evaluating individual abilities rather than applying age-based rules. The American Association for Retired People (AARP) Michigan opposes the approach,arguing for individualized,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-investigation-key-takeaways-from-ex-fbi-agent-timothy-thibaults-testimony\/\" title=\"Ex-FBI agent Timothy Thibault&#039;s testimony on Hunter Biden investigation: Key points.\">evidence-based assessments<\/a> such as reviewing driving records and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vanderbilt-university-medical-center-takes-woman-off-transplant-list-for-refusing-covid-19-vaccine\/\" title=\"Vanderbilt University Medical Center Takes Woman Off Transplant List for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine\">medical concerns<\/a>. The bill has sparked debate about balancing safety with autonomy, and was cited in reporting by outlets including click on Detroit and The detroit News.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Drivers 75 years old and over would face testing to keep on driving under a bill proposed in the Michigan Senate.<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickondetroit.com\/news\/local\/2026\/03\/28\/proposed-michigan-bill-would-mandate-frequent-driving-tests-for-older-drivers-what-seniors-said\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click on Detroit<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At the age of 85, those requirements kick in annually.<\/p>\n<p>Many seniors did not like the concept.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;m too happy about this,&rdquo; Pea Gee, who is almost 70, told the outlet. &ldquo;It is not the older people that generate a lot of these accidents, it&rsquo;s the younger drivers.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You have a lot of older people, such as myself we see well, we hear well, we can drive, and we&rsquo;re mentally focused because we&rsquo;re not texting,&rdquo; Gee added.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen Rogers said testing might be appropriate, but testing drivers 85 and over every year was not necessary.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think that would be overkill,&rdquo; Rogers said. &ldquo;I think that&rsquo;s quite a bit too much. I think it&rsquo;s a &lsquo;if you can&rsquo;t get them that way, you get them this way.&rsquo; I don&rsquo;t agree with that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think that if they want to pass that type of bill, it should be passed for everybody,&rdquo; Sharon Mann, another older driver, said. &ldquo;It should not be based on a particular person&rsquo;s age but maybe on their physical or mental abilities, which would be assessed by a professional.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Linda Burge, 87, however, backs the idea.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a good idea,&rdquo; Burge said, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.13abc.com\/2026\/03\/27\/michigan-bill-would-require-testing-drivers-75-older\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WTVG-TV<\/a>. &ldquo;I would rather somebody tell me I wasn&rsquo;t able to drive than have an accident and be responsible for it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2026\/03\/27\/proposed-law-would-require-regular-vision-tests-for-michigan-drivers-over-age-75\/89332355007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Detroit News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>She said the law targets a common issue in families with older drivers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Many Michiganders have been driving since they were teens, and probably couldn&rsquo;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. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wF9960m6q8\">https:\/\/t.co\/wF9960m6q8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; KFOX14 News (@KFOX14) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KFOX14\/status\/2037213146503417924?\">March 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>  &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard so many stories now since I started talking about it; it&rsquo;s everywhere,&rdquo; Bayer said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really hard for a person to get their parent to stop driving. It&rsquo;s so hard.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The American Association for Retired People Michigan is not on board.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Michigan should focus on individualized, evidence&#8209;based approaches &mdash; such as reviewing driving records or <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >addressing specific medical concerns &#038;mdash<\/a>; rather than policies that restrict independence, limit access to essential services, and discriminate against older residents,&rdquo; Jason Lachowski, associate state director for AARP Michigan, said.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Michigan Senate bill proposed by Democrat Rosemary Bayer would require drivers aged 75 and older to renew their licenses only after passing a vision test, a written road\u2011rules test, and a driving-skills test every four years. Once they turn 85, these requirements would apply annually. The sponsor says the rule targets a common issue in families with older drivers and was inspired by a fatal incident involving a 94\u2011year\u2011old driver.<\/p>\n<p>Reaction to the proposal is mixed. Some seniors oppose it, arguing that older people aren\u2019t the main risk and that younger drivers cause many accidents. Critics also say annual testing at 85 would be excessive, and that any testing should be based on individual abilities rather than age. Others, such as 87\u2011year\u2011old Linda Burge, support the idea, preferring to know she shouldn\u2019t drive if that\u2019s what\u2019s safest. Bayer notes the bill was prompted by the 94\u2011year\u2011old incident.<\/p>\n<p>The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Michigan opposes the measure, advocating for individualized, evidence\u2011based approaches-such as reviewing driving records or addressing medical concerns-rather than policies that limit independence or could discriminate against older residents. The debate centers on balancing road safety with preserving seniors\u2019 independence, especially since many have driven for decades and resist age\u2011based restrictions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2587133,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-04-04T113107.366.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[45539,77144,77143,4601,77142],"class_list":["post-2587132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-dmv","tag-driving-tests","tag-license-renewal","tag-michigan","tag-senior-drivers"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-04-04T113107.366.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2587132"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2587136,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587132\/revisions\/2587136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2587133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2587132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2587132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2587132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}