HELENA — In 2020, 16 percent of fatalities involved drivers 65 and older, who make up 23 percent of registered drivers in Montana, according to the Montana Department of Transportation.
AARP hosts driver safety classes regularly to help seniors prepare and practice for aging factors that could impact their time on the road.
Ray Paige, an instructor of the class says, "I find personally that every time I have a class I drive away a smarter and safer driver and I hope the students feel that too.”
The class is just over four hours long and is open to all ages, while participants aged 55 and older are eligible for multi-year auto insurance premium discounts.
The most popular sections with the students are traffic signals, traffic signs, and what to do in the case of breaking down.
The course includes discussing vision and hearing challenges and how to keep your independence behind the wheel.
“The goal of the class is to make senior drivers aware of the changes that have occurred over their lifetime and recently, regarding health issues and automobiles," Carl Peil, the AARP driver safety class district coordinator says. "The hope of this is to make them safer drivers and to be less likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash.”
In the tri-county area, classes are offered eight times a year located in Helena and you can visit the AARP websiteto schedule a class.
