The Michigan Left has been a core aspect of navigating the roads around the great state of Michigan for years.
Dating back to the 1960s, it’s been confirmed for years that the Michigan Left has a great positive impact on road safety, reducing the number and severity of crashes by as much as 30 – 60% and reducing congestion by as much as 50%!
While the Michigan Left has been common knowledge amongst natives, and an understanding of how to execute one has always been expected among those who pass the test, it has never been explicitly required during a driving test in Michigan until now.
Why the MDOT now requires a Michigan Left in driving tests
The requirement comes as an increased number of out-of-state drivers have been relocating to Michigan at a stunning rate, with 2024 data suggesting that Michigan welcomed around 21 new residents per day on average.
The influx of non-Michigan natives has resulted in an unexpected problem: a significant presence of drivers on the road that do not have a fundamental understanding of how to execute one of the state’s most important traffic maneuvers.
How is the Michigan Left going to be tested?
Aside from the general written or theory portion of the drivers’ test that has already featured some questions on the Michigan Left, it will not ask those hoping to get a Michigan license to fill out a diagram showing the proper route needed to execute a Michigan Left.
You could see the two potential responses below as an example:
The second portion of the test will occur during the physical driver’s test event and be done as you may expect.
This new portion of the driver’s test will focus on specific technical aspects of a properly executed Michigan Left: speed of lane transition, efficiency of the turn, and ability to maintain the flow of traffic.
By the way – APRIL FOOLS