Grafton Township, AARP Team Up On Senior Driving Program

The generation that practically invented the notion of cruising is facing a tough decision in the near future: When is it time to give up driving?

The AARP Driver Safety Program offers seniors information that helps them reach that decision while refreshing their driving skills now.

Grafton Township has been working with AARP this year to provide the program every month at its Huntley office on Vine Street.

Grafton Township Supervisor Linda Moore said she wanted to provide the program for seniors to help keep them safe.

The number of people older than 65 who are driving is expected to grow by 70 percent over the next 20 years, said Bruce Rayman, marketing specialist with the AARP Driver Safety Program, in an email interview.

Illinois has more than 225 instructors and over 13,000 people attended the class throughout the state, Rayman said. The state mandates an eight-hour classroom course, taught in two, four-hour sessions, he said. When seniors complete the course, they may be eligible for an insurance discount.

Instructors teach seniors the effects of aging on driving, driving strategies that take those effects into account, updates traffic laws and helps seniors identity when driving may no longer be safe, Rayman said.

The AARP Driver Safety Program introduces and reinforces the notion of older drivers “self-policing,” which he said is a concept taught in a unit called “Judging Our Driving Fitness: Knowing When to Choose to Retire from Driving.”

There is good news regarding seniors and driving: a decline in older driver fatal crashes, Rayman said.  According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s June 2010 report, older driver crash statistics are better than anticipated, declining by 37 percent among drivers 70 and older, he said.

However, seniors and their families should be talking about the decision to “retire” from driving. A key is to let seniors preserve their self-respect, he said.

It’s important not to tell seniors they are no longer safe drivers, he said. Rather, be sensitive and tell the senior you are concerned about his or her well-being.

The AARP Driver Safety Program is changing behaviors with 82 percent of class participants feeling that the information they learned help them prevent being involved in a traffic accident, Rayman said.

Grafton Township’s next AARP Driver Safety Program is scheduled July 19 and 20 at the township offices, 10109 Vine St., Huntley. The cost is $14 per person. To pre-register, contact the supervisor’s office at 847-669-3328.