The Senate voted 20-9 Friday to pass a bill to allow people to confidentially report bad drivers to the state as a preliminary to additional testing. It now goes to the House for consideration.

Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, acknowledged in debate Thursday that the measure would mostly affect the elderly who may not be able to drive well but whom friends and family are hesitant to confront directly to urge them to stop driving.

Current law requires the state driver license division to release the name of a person reporting on a bad driver to that driver. Under SB34, a person making a confidential report would only have to release their name to the state.

"There is a certain group, just like denying a heart attack, who just refuse to say 'it's time' and keep on driving," Christensen said in debate Thursday.

Christensen said the measure is intended to allow people the freedom to report a close friend or family member without harming a relationship. He said he believes many people remain quiet for fear of hurting feelings or for lack of courage.

But other senators said his bill was aimed specifically at getting elderly drivers off the road.

"A senior driver is a good driver," said Sen. Karen Mayne, D-West Valley. "Let's look at how many accidents we have with teenagers."

The bill would make anyone making false reports to the driver license division with the intent to annoy, intimidate or harass guilty of a class C misdemeanor.