More than 75 percent of adults living in the United States hold driver’s licenses. Among this percentage are around 40 million drivers who are over the age of 65. Studies show that being capable of transporting oneself around town is a perk that many senior citizens do not surrender easily for many reasons. Driving is a lifeline for senior citizens. Many mature citizens encounter isolation shortly after surrendering their license to the state. With no one to converse with and ask for favors about errands, some seniors experience shorter life expectancy than mature adults who continue to drive well beyond their primetime years. The risks are so high that various organizations and car manufacturers are working to cater to senior drivers.
Refresher Courses
There are several refresher courses that senior drivers, whether based in residential care communities or residing at home, can take to brush up on their motor vehicle operating skills. CarFit is one of the more popular free courses offered to seniors nationwide. AARP, AAA, and the American Occupational Therapy Association collaborated to create a curriculum meant to help seniors better coordinate when behind the wheel. Most mature adults lose sharpness in the area of hand-eye coordination. The CarFit course is designed to help senior drivers maintain keenness by presenting various scenarios that they may encounter on the road.
CarFit is too new for experts to determine its ability to save lives. However, the course does give drivers confidence in their abilities, which decreases the probability of accidents due to second-guessing judgment.
AARP exclusively offers Another refresher course that seniors love. The class is considered continuing education, which means that mature drivers stand to earn discounts on their insurance policies upon completion of the course. More than 360,000 seniors attend AARP classes in-person, and nearly 150,000 experienced drivers complete lessons online. It takes about eight hours to complete AARP’s training, and the fee is typically less than $30.
Manufacturing Efforts
Ford, Subaru, and Toyota lead the way when it comes to technology catered to senior drivers. The auto manufacturers Subaru focuses on visibility and access to accessories that assist in the driving experience. Toyota, on the other hand, focuses on tackling the issue of auto accidents and senior injury. The manufacturer heavily relies on research from various universities to create features that will best protect experienced drivers in the instance of an incident. Ford follows the route of Subaru when creating cars with seniors in mind. The manufacturer focuses on visibility and features that assist the hearing impaired.
Senior drivers who implement manual hand-eye coordination exercises in addition to taking advantage of auto features and refresher courses may find themselves at a greater benefit. Eating foods rich in nutrients is an excellent way to improve eye health and inadvertently avoid license revocation due to loss of vision.
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