AARP Driver Safety Website

Overview

Today, across America, one in seven drivers is over age 65. By 2030 the ratio will be one in four. The AARP Driver Safety Program, begun in 1979, now includes this resource-rich website for consumers that could aid community planners and local government officials who are addressing the issue of older adults and driving. The site encourages older adults to take a Driver Safety course, either online or in a local classroom setting, potentially earning discounts on their auto insurance. It also includes an effective online seminar called “We Need to Talk” that helps adult children have productive conversations with older relatives about driving and safety.

Key Points

Founded in 1979, AARP Driver Safety has helped millions of drivers stay safe on the roads. Although the course is geared to drivers age 50 and older, the course is open to people of all ages. AARP membership is not required to take the course and there are no tests to pass.

• The classroom course costs only $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. The cost for the online course is $15.95 for AARP members and $19.95 for non-members. Not all auto insurance companies or states provide discounts to those who complete the course, but many do.
  
• The easy-to-use search function to locate classroom courses across the U.S. is a valuable tool.
  
• The online seminar “We Need to Talk,” developed with MIT’s AgeLab, includes modules on the “meaning of driving” to older adults, an objective assessment of necessary skills, and specific ways to effectively have conversations with older adults when it is time to get them to stop driving.
  

How to Use

The coming tsunami of older drivers is poised to create safety issues in communities across the country. Helping local planners prepare is of tantamount importance, and the AARP Driver Safety website is a good tool to use. Because it targets consumers, and comes from a trusted resource, local officials can recommend it and point to it for their constituents. In addition, the information available can help community planners put in place effective programs to ensure the continued safety of their roads and highways, as well as their older citizens.

View Web site: AARP Driver Safety