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AARP Driver Safety Course

More than 41 million licensed drivers aged 65 and older are on the roads, up from 26 million 20 years ago. As people age, changes to vision, hearing, and reflexes may affect driving skills, increasing the risk of being injured or killed in a crash. Physical and mental changes that may affect driving include:

Arthritis: Joints can stiffen, and muscles can weaken, making it harder to turn your head to look back, turn the steering wheel quickly, or brake safely.

Eyesight: People, things, and movement outside your direct line of sight, such as street or traffic signs, may be harder to see. Glare from oncoming headlights or streetlights may make night driving challenging. Eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, may cause vision problems.

Hearing: Horns, sirens, or noises from your own car may be hard to hear, which can be a problem since these sounds warn you to pull over or get out of the way.

Reflexes: Aging may shorten attention spans and slow reflexes. Loss of feeling or tingling in fingers and feet, or medical conditions like strokes or Parkinson’s, can make it difficult to steer or use the foot pedals.

Medications: Side effects that cause drowsiness or lightheadedness may impair safe driving. Read the information provided with prescriptions to make sure they don’t affect driving.

General safe driving tips for seniors:

  • Avoid driving at night, on the highway, or in bad weather if these things concern you. Bad weather, like rain, ice, or snow, makes driving difficult for anyone. Wait until the weather improves, call a family member or friend, or use an alternative mode of transportation.
  • Older drivers may also have problems when yielding the right of way, turning (especially left turns), changing lanes, passing, and using expressway ramps.
  • If you have health problems or medications that might make it unsafe for you to drive, talk with your doctor to develop a plan to help you keep driving and decide when it is no longer safe.
  • Take a defensive driving course to refresh your driving skills, such as the upcoming AARP course at St. Therese. The course teaches proven driving techniques to keep you safe on the road. You may even qualify for a car insurance discount! You will learn about the effects of medication on driving; how to reduce driver distractions; how to maintain proper following distance; the proper use of seatbelts, airbags, and anti-lock brakes; techniques for handling left turns, right-of-way, and roundabouts; and new technology found in cars today.

St. Therese of Lisieux will host this AARP Driver Safety Course on Wednesday, October 28, and Thursday, October 29, from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. You must attend both 4-hour sessions. If you are interested in attending, RSVP to the Parish Secretary at 586-254-4433 or Marilyn Cito, Parish Nurse, at 586-254-4433 Ext. 320 or Marilync@stol.church. The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members, payable at the door.

If you decide it’s time to give up driving, talk with family and friends to explore options. Several transportation options are available to seniors, but arranging rides takes time and planning. A list of transportation alternatives is posted on the Health Ministry Bulletin Board in the Gathering Space and includes the following resources:

  • Shelby Township Senior Citizens Transportation: 586-739-7540
  • MyRide2: 855-697-4332
  • Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers: 586-757-5551
  • Smart Bus: 866-962-5515
  • Uber and Lyft phone applications (MyRide2 can also book a Lyft ride for you)
  • Taxis, private and community transportation services, and free or low-cost buses, if you can walk safely.

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