Auto Club Urges Older Drivers to Start New Year With Driving Skills Check-Up
10 January 2000
Auto Club Urges Older Drivers to Start New Year With Driving Skills Check-Up
LOS ANGELES--Jan. 10, 2000--When is it time to stop driving? Many senior drivers may be asking themselves this question without knowing the answer."Vision, flexibility, reaction time and the effects of medication are the principal concerns of older drivers," said Arline Dillman, Ph.D., the Auto Club's traffic safety manager.
"Night driving, rush hour driving, left-hand turns and complex intersections also create greater risks for older drivers. Since driving skills decline gradually, it's important for drivers to regularly assess their abilities."
Senior drivers over 80 are just as likely as teenagers to be involved in fatal and injury collisions, according to Dillman. Seniors who may be at higher risk for traffic crashes can evaluate their behind-the-wheel skills by asking themselves some questions:
-- Have you had a significant change in physical condition,
especially one that has decreased driving dexterity such as a
stroke, severe heart attack, or osteoporosis?
-- Do you have difficulty seeing distant objects or objects at
night, even with corrective eyewear?
-- Have you experienced several moving violations or
"fender-benders" within a short time span?
-- Are intersections becoming more difficult to negotiate,
especially left hand turns?
-- Are others nervous or displeased with your driving?
-- Do you find yourself regularly "surprised" by the sudden
appearance of other vehicles or pedestrians?
-- Do you find yourself "lost" or "confused" on familiar routes?
Seniors answering "yes" to any of these questions may want to discuss the situation with their doctor, take a driving class or modify their driving.
"Reducing senior driving is a sensitive issue because it could mean diminished independence after a lifetime of mobility," added Dillman. "The Auto Club wants seniors to continue driving as long as they can do so safely.
"There are many alternatives that can help seniors who can no longer drive themselves, including senior transit services, carpooling, mass transit, delivery services and Internet shopping."
Free brochures on various senior driver topics are available to the public at the Auto Club's Southern California offices. A book titled "Drivers 55 Plus: Check Your Own Performance" can be ordered by sending a check for $2 payable to the Automobile Club of Southern California to: Automobile Club of Southern California, Public Affairs, Mail Stop A131, 3333 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, 92626.
The Auto Club offers an eight-hour safe driving class for drivers age 55 and older. The class addresses changes that occur with aging, how these changes affect driving skills and how to compensate for these changes. The class also provides strategies for predicting, interpreting and reacting to what is happening in traffic, particularly at intersections where many traffic collisions occur.
The class, which costs $21, is available for Auto Club members and the public. For class dates and locations, call your local Auto Club office.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of the AAA, has been serving members since 1900.
Today, the Auto Club's members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, financial products, travel agency and trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs, automotive testing and analysis and legislative advocacy.
Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.
