Senior drivers recognize the need for tougher licensing rules, according to a new AAA study.

When a 75-year-old driver killed a pedestrian crossing the street near her Brooklyn home early today it immediately raised questions about the wisdom of letting older drivers operate motor vehicles. And it turns out that the majority of seniors are asking that question among themselves.

A new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that an overwhelming majority of older drivers want tougher licensing rules that could take many of them and their peers off the road.

The study is a timely one, considering the rapidly aging population. Those over the age of 65 now make up 17% of the nation’s licensed drivers, and more than two-thirds of those over the age of 85 say they still drive at least five days a week.

Another study released earlier this year found that fatal accidents among seniors have actually been on the decline, but experts caution that this doesn’t mean the country can afford to ignore those who may no longer be capable of driving due to age-related problems.

“Even though public perception tends to unfairly characterize seniors as a menace on the road, these findings indicate that older Americans tend to support policies to keep themselves safer behind the wheel, making them key allies in their mission to keep driving – smarter and longer.” said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

(New NHTSA nominee promises to get tough on recalls, safety lapses. Click Here for more.)

Based on responses from nearly 1,800 Americans over the age of 65, the AAA study found that more seven out of 10 favor tougher licensing policies. These would include requiring motorists 75 or older to renew their licenses in person, while also requiring medical screening for older drivers.

And lest you think it’s the “younger” seniors who want to get tough, AAA reports that nearly 80% of those aged 75 think they should have a medical screening to ensure they are qualified to drive.

In a country where mass transportation is more the exception than the rule, 84% of Americans over the age of 65 still hold a license. That number has been steadily rising since the 1970s, when barely half of seniors were still licensed, the AAA noted.

“With nearly nine out of ten seniors aged 65 and older still driving, it appears that additional years behind the wheel not only make drivers older, but wiser,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy and research.

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Surprisingly, it may also make most seniors safer. Despite the stereotype, the study found 90% of those above 65 had no crashes during the previous two years, and the same percentage reported no moving violations. Older drivers were also less likely to use cellphones while driving.

In a separate report released last February, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the fatal crash rate for those over the age of 70 has been declining since 1997 – the rate coming down faster than for middle-aged motorists.

“This should help ease fears that aging baby boomers are a safety threat,” said Anne McCartt, the senior vice president for research at the IIHS and a co-author of the study.

Not only is the number of seniors rising, but also they’re driving more. Despite those factors, the number of annual driving-related deaths for that age group fell 31% between 1997 and 2012.

The number of Americans who are 70 and older will more than double by 2050, from 29 million to 64 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Eighty-year-olds are going to triple during the same time from 12 million to 31 million.

(For more on the IIHS senior driver study, Click Here.)