BMW of Annapolis Collision Center

Why Take the AARP Smart Driver Course?

We all try to avoid it, but the plain fact is that we all get old. When you're in your 20s, you never think about it, but as you enter your 40s, you know your senior years are right around the bend. At BMW Of Annapolis Collision Center, we see accidents around Annapolis involving seniors all the time. We know that when you get older, your reflexes slow down and your vision may also be affected too. So, many seniors are taking driving classes to refresh their skills and become safer drivers overall.

The AARP Smart Driver online course is the nation’s first refresher course exclusively designed for drivers age 50 and older. In most states, drivers may benefit from a discount on their auto insurance premium upon successfully completing the course. In fact, an assessment of the AARP Smart Driver course discovered that 97% of the seniors taking the course altered at least one driving habit as a result.

As a group, senior drivers are at a higher risk of having a severe collision per mile driven than any other demographic except for those under age 25. Drivers in their late 70s have about the same number of injury-involved crashes per mile driven as drivers in their early 20s. And drivers age 85 and older are injured or killed in crashes more frequently than any other age group.

Older senior drivers are customarily less able to withstand the forces of an accident, so they are more likely to become seriously hurt, compared with younger drivers. Older adults also don’t normally recover from injuries as quickly as they previously did.

• Receive a multi-year discount on their auto insurance.
• Refresh their driving skills and their knowledge of the rules of the road.
• Reduce their chances of receiving a traffic citation or getting into a collision.

The AARP Smart Driver online course covers:

• Research-based safe driving strategies.
• Information on the effects of medication on driving.
• Preventive measures to reduce driver distractions.
• The proper use of safety belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes and new technology prevalent in cars today.
• Techniques for handling left turns, right-of-way, and roundabouts.
• State-specific rules and regulations in 19 major areas, including school buses, cell phone use, construction zones, child safety seats and more.
• Easy-to-follow curriculum incorporating adult-learning principles.

Driving is a skill that should be continually refined. As you age, it is important for drivers to know and appreciate how to adjust for slower reflexes, weaker eyesight and other changes. By learning what your driving strengths and weaknesses are, you can get better in their areas where you lack skills.

So, if you're a senior, or know one, maybe re-learning how to drive might be a sage move. It all comes down to safety--yours and everyone else's on the road. By working hard to becoming better drivers, seniors can drive longer and stay out of accidents. We have a lot of senior drivers here in Annapolis and all over the state of MD, so that's why we're delighted to share this useful information with you.

Sources: AARP, NHTSA, CNN.com