Driving After 65: The Aarp Defensive Driving Course

As the number of Baby Boomers entering their sixties increases, the need for continuing driver education for senior drivers will increase as well. A 2007 USA Today report indicated that drivers 65 and older were involved in 72% more automobile s than just eight years previously. That figure does not necessarily mean that older drivers are more reckless than they were in 1999; it could simply mean that there are more drivers over 65, a statistic which will continue to grow.

While many senior drivers are extremely safety conscious, they may not be able to compensate for the slower reflexes which normally accompany the aging process. The driver's licensing exams in all stated require that drivers pass a vision test, but they do nothing to test for reaction speed. But millions of seniors lead active, productive lives; many of them still work for a living; and to arbitrarily deprive them of the ability to drive would be disastrous for everyone.

The AARP Solution

AARP, the American Association of Retired Person, offers a solution in the form of AARP defensive driving classes. The AARP Driver Safety Class, which would be more appropriately named the AARP Defensive Driving Class, is designed to protect the rights of senior citizens to drive by teaching them how to avoid s which could cost them their licenses.

AARP defensive driving techniques, because it helps seniors avoid s, will even qualify those who have completed the AARP defensive driving courses for discounted automobile insurance with some insurance companies. The increasing rate among those 65 and older is a great reason for automobile insurance carriers to raise their older clients' rates to almost unaffordable levels. Those senior drivers who participate in the AARP defensive driving program will show their automobile insurance companies that they are determined to continue to drive safely.

Finding An AARP Defensive Driving Class

AARP defensive driving classes are available all over the US, and you can find one in your area simply by visiting the AARP website at http://www.aarp.org. Search for an AARP defensive driving class by entering your ZIP code in the search box.

You can also place a toll-free call to AARP at 1-888-227-7669, and ask them to find the location of the nearest AARP defensive driving class. You will have to leave a message containing your SIP code, and in three to five business day someone from AARP will contact you by telephone with the class information.

An AARP defensive driving class will require two four-hour sessions over two days, and costs only ten dollars. The instructors will also teach you how to assess your own physical conditions so that you can determine if you will be able to continue to drive safely. And even with AARP defensive driver training, you will still have to pass your driver's license exam.

Knowing when and where to do defensive driving is crucial if you want to use your defensive driving skills to avoid s or the kinds of situations which can easily lead to s. You put good money and a lot of time and effort into your defensive driving course, and knowing where to use your defensive driving skills will pay you back in no time!