The Stratford Library, in conjunction with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), will offer another session of the AARP Driver Safety Program, a classroom driver retraining program designed to help older persons improve their driving skills, on Tuesday, Sept. 6 from 1 to 5 p.m.
The new one-day class program will be held in the Library’s Lovell Room. Developed by the AARP, the program is the first comprehensive driver retraining course geared to the specific needs of older motorists.
The course material covers the effects of aging and medications on driving, basic driving rules, license renewal, local traffic hazards, adverse road conditions, energy saving and accident prevention measures. No written, physical or driving tests are given.
Research shows that older drivers are involved in more accidents than their middle-aged counterparts when the record is based on actual miles driven. The physical changes of aging create difficulties for many older drivers when yielding the right-of-way, backing, turning, changing lanes and entering/leaving expressways.
However, research also indicates that older persons can improve their driving abilities through additional training, attention and practice, enabling them to maintain their driving licenses longer while driving safer. This is the ultimate goal of the AARP Driver Safety Program.
Persons 50 years of age or older are eligible to participate in the library program and will receive a certificate of completion at the end of instruction. The course is limited to 24 participates only and there is a nominal fee of $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members charged by the AARP.
Reservations are required and can be made by calling AARP Representative Michael Klein at 203.929.4851.
As of Friday afternoon, Mr. Klein noted that he still had about a dozen spaces available in the class. He explained that because his telephone service was only just restored after last week's storm, people who were unable to reach him earlier to make a reservation should now be able to get through.
The Library is located at 2203 Main St., Stratford.
