Older drivers who take a refresher course may get discounts on their auto insurance

PEDAL ERROR: These photos from the website of the New Haven Register in Connecticut show the car of a 70-year-old woman who told police she hit the gas pedal instead of the brake, causing her to crash into a fence on Feb. 27, 2019. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- If you follow the local news media, you'll probably never guess the biggest challenges facing older drivers.

Newspapers and news websites often run gee-whiz photos of older drivers who hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal, slamming their cars into storefronts, other vehicles or other people, sometimes with fatal consequences.

But AARP's Smart Driver Course takes a more comprehensive look at the challenges facing older people when they get behind the wheel, and the need for a safe-driving refresher course.

Constant change

"Our abilities are changing, our cars are changing, our roads are changing [and] our state laws are changing," says AARP, the Washington, D.C.-based interest group that takes credit for empowering people to choose how they live as they age.

In a pre-course quiz I took last month, typical challenges for older drivers include: 

• Making left turns, especially at intersections. 
• Failing to yield the right of way.
• Merging into another lane of traffic. 

Warning signs of unsafe driving are listed on Page 88 of the 124-page guidebook for people who take the course.

They include "trouble moving the foot from gas pedal to brake pedal." 

I'll save $99 a year

The cost for taking the course is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members.

But the certificate I received entitles me to an insurance discount of $99 a year for 3 years, based on the cost of my current liability, collision and personal injury coverage.

NJM, my insurance company, said my 5% discount won't go into effect until January, when my policy renews, so the savings I list are only an estimate.

Older drivers who complete the course also could remove up to 2 points on their license.

AAA also has a senior defensive-driving course called Roadwise.

SENIOR CENTER: I took the AARP Smart Driver Course on April 22 in the Bogota Senior Center, but the course also is available online. 

COMPREHENSIVE: The course, which ran from 10 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m., included videos, a quiz, an AARP volunteer instructor and discussion. There are sections on health, vehicle maintenance, changing roads, and tips for driving in bad weather and emergencies.