New four-hour AARP Driver Safety refresher class offered

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 8, 2019

SALISBURY— An AARP Driver Safety Program refresher class will be held at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, 1120 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., on May 16.

The class has been revised to a four-hour session that includes the latest research-based safety strategies. Registration is at 12:30 p.m. and instruction, 12:30 to 5 p.m. Class size is limited. Reservations can be made by calling 704-216-7714.

The fee is $15 for AARP members. A membership card is required. If the card is lost, a new card can be obtained by calling the AARP national office at 888-227-7669. The membership number is also on the AARP magazine.

The fee is $20 for nonmembers, which covers the cost of the workbook and materials. Participants must also bring their driver’s license.

Rufty-Holmes Senior Center has sponsored an AARP driver safety class in Salisbury every year since 1991.

The AARP Driver Safety Program is the nation’s first and largest classroom driver refresher course designed for motorists age 50 and older. AARP volunteers have been teaching the course since 1979. The class is open to all ages.

The course will provide a review of driving skills and techniques, as well as strategies and tips to help seniors adjust to age-related physical changes that affect driving ability. The workbook contains 40 pages of safety tips and more.

The objectives of the AARP Driver Safety Program are to help participants understand the effects of aging on driving by getting them to know themselves; learn driving strategies that take into account the changes people experience as they age; identify common crash situations; reduce the chances of having a crash by reviewing basic driving rules, traffic hazards and accident prevention measures; update knowledge and understanding of today’s roads, vehicles and other road users; the effects of medication on driving; and how to identify when driving may no longer be safe.

Graduates of the course may be eligible to receive a discount on auto insurance.

The local AARP chapter meets at 1 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center. The chapter offers members a variety of community service, education, advocacy and leadership and fellowship opportunities. Senior citizens over age 50 are encouraged to attend and join the local chapter.