Changes for seniors in driving
Change was the theme for the AARP Smart Driver Course last week when seven students took the class. Most were probably looking for a change in their insurance costs, volunteer teacher Frank Weintz said after the class. The completed class may result in 10 percent off their insurance.
The class stresses natural changes that may make some seniors less adept at driving and it gives them some hints to overcome those changes.
Seniors should consider the way their bodies have changed. Medications may be responsible for some of those changes, so the class stresses that all medications, even over-the-counter or herbal supplements, can have side effects that may interfere with safe driving.
“Be aware of your personal situations,” Weintz said. Wait and see how you will react to a new medication before driving.
As people age, their vision changes and that will affect their driving. A short quiz in the course book is meant to help judge if vision is an issue. The book also provides some tips to help vision problems including the possibility of separate glasses for night and day as well as anti-reflective coatings. Some people may avoid driving at night or at dusk because of vision issues.
Hearing can also be an issue. There are some assistive devices that can help and it can be helpful to limit conversation in the vehicle.
Changes also occur in a person’s brain as they age. Reaction time may slow, concentration may become more difficult and problem-solving skills may decrease. These changes can be combated with mental fitness skills like learning new activities.
Fatigue can also slow down reaction time. The course book recommends eliminating distractions inside the vehicle like the radio or cell phone. Plan the route to avoid heavy traffic and difficult turns. Also, increase
your following distance to gain a second of reaction time.
Even as seniors cope with changes to their bodies, they must also cope with changes to vehicles. Many of the innovations were designed to help keep drivers safe like smart head lights that adjust to road conditions and visibility. Back up cameras and assistive parking systems are also helpful innovations.
Navigation systems can help senior drivers, especially at night and during bad weather. A navigation system should be programmed before the car is moving, Weintz said. In fact, some systems cannot be programmed if the
car is moving.
Roads are also changing and some of the traffic signals and signs may be new to senior drivers. Weintz said not everyone knows what a solid red arrow means. People will sometimes honk at a vehicle stopped for the red arrow because they don’t know that it means stop and wait, even if there’s no oncoming traffic. However a flashing yellow arrow means the driver can proceed if there’s no traffic coming, while a green arrow means that other traffic should be stopped so it’s safe to turn.
People should also keep in mind that it’s never all right to go over a solid yellow line, like the ones on Lancashire Boulevard. That may mean following a bicyclist for miles rather than crossing the lines to pass. If you do pass a bike,
according to state law you must stay three feet away from the bike.
In Bella Vista, people sometimes get into trouble when they allow their wheels to stray off the roadway and find the dirt at the side of the road has been worn away. Once they hit the trench next to the road, people tend to over compensate to get back onto the roadway, which causes them to lose control.
It’s also illegal to drive around a closed railroad gate, even if a train is not in sight, he said. The correct thing to do if a gate appears to be malfunctioning is to back up and take an alternate route, after calling and reporting the problem.
“You never have a problem giving up the right of way,” Weintz told his students as
they discussed roundabouts. You may have a problem if you insist on keeping the right of way, especially if the vehicle is larger than yours.
Weintz said he was surprised to learn that Arkansas is fifth in the nation in deer crashes. If a deer or another animal runs in front of your car, don’t swerve, he warned. Hitting a deer will cause less damage than hitting a tree or another vehicle. You can brake as long as you don’t swerve.
Anti-lock brake systems have changed the way seniors drive, Weintz said, explaining that when he lived in the north, the accepted way to slow down on a snowy road was to pump the brakes. Now anti-lock brake systems make pumping brakes unnecessary, but that takes some getting used to. When you “stomp” on a brake with an ABS system, you may feel a vibration and hear something grinding or buzzing. Keep your foot on the brake pedal, he said. The sound is coming from the brake system working.
Another change seniors may not know about is the recommended distance to leave for stopping. At one time, that distance was measured by car lengths, one for each 10 miles per hour. Now, it’s based on time. In Arkansas, a driver should be four seconds behind the car they are following and they can determine that by watching the car pass a fixed object, like a sign, and then counting the seconds until they pass the same fixed object.
AARP Safe Driving Courses are offered on a regular basis in Bella Vista and surrounding towns. For more information contact Joe Gratzl at 479-621-3089.