Driver Safety and Healthy Vision Month

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Because May is both Healthy Vision Month and AARP Driver Safety Program Month, the organization is reminding drivers to maintain their eye health to help ensure safe driving. A full 90% to 95% of the information needed to detect and react to danger while driving comes through vision.

Eyesight can deteriorate over time so it is crucial to be vigilant about maintaining eye health. Today about 1 in 7 drivers is age 65 or older, but this figure is expected to rise significantly in the years ahead. By the time that the last of the Boomers turn 65 in 2029, about 1 in 4 drivers will be age 65 or older meaning that healthy vision will only continue to grow in importance over the coming years.

The AARP Driver Safety Program can help drivers recognize changes that can affect sight during aging and help them learn how to adjust their driving accordingly. In addition, the course can help 50+ drivers adapt to the many changes in car technology since they took driver’s ed. Here are a few tips from the Driver Safety Program on how to best address healthy vision while driving and make the most of recent advances in automotive technology:

• Have regular eye exams by a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist;
• Ask about getting separate glasses for day and night driving;
• Avoid driving at dawn, dusk and night when visibility is at its worst;
• Consider lenses with anti-reflective coating to reduce glare when night driving cannot be avoided;
• Be sure to keep the windshield and all windows clean both inside and out;
• Have a good pair of sunglasses readily available to counter daytime glare;
• The recommended hand position while driving is no longer 10 and 2 o’clock but rather 8 and 4 o’clock or even 9 and 3 o’clock to avoid injury from airbag deployment in case of a collision;
• When driving a car with anti-lock brakes (ABS) it is not appropriate to pump the brakes but rather, remember the three S’s (Stomp on the brake pedal, Stay on the pedal, and Steer away from danger).

In addition to tips such as these, the course covers familiar topics such as negotiating busy intersections and defensive driving skills; understanding new car safety technologies like electronic stability control and air bags; and covering challenges such as learning new traffic laws and handling road rage.

More than 90 percent of participants say they would recommend the course to a friend, and from May 1 through June 15, AARP members can bring a friend and they can attend the AARP Driver Safety Program classroom course together, for just $10.00–a 50% savings. To receive this special offer, the AARP member must just show their AARP membership card upon arrival on the first day of the course. Members can also receive $2.00 off the Driver Safety Online Course fee during this same period.