AARP Driver Safety Class Helps Seniors Save Money

“The class really helps in making us older citizens better drivers. It helps us remember that we need to take more precautions because our reaction time and physical skills are not what they used to be. It helps refresh for you when driving whom has the right of way and ways to be more careful to help us drive safely.”  – Henry Goldsmith, 80, Gulfport resident 

The statistics are staggering, but they show just how frequent and horrific motor vehicle crashes are in the Sunshine State. Here are some of the most recent statistics available, from the 2009 Florida Traffic Crash Statistics Report, published by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles:

• There were 235,778 traffic accidents in the state in 2009, involving 338,633 drivers of all ages.

• The average crashes per day statewide was 646.

• Of the people in traffic accidents, 197,214 suffered injuries.

• The number of fatalities was 2,563.

With startling statistics like these occurring not only here in Florida, but on roadways throughout our nation, AARP started a driver safety class back in 1979 for those 50 and older to help them drive more safely. Locally, these two-day, eight-hour courses are taught by volunteers throughout the Tampa Bay area.

In Gulfport, the class is held on the first and second Tuesdays of the month, beginning at 12:45 p.m. at the Gulfport Multipurpose Senior Center, 5501 27th Ave. S.  The instructor, often praised by his students for his knowledge, friendly demeanor and sense of humor, is 74-year-old Diljit Gulati. (The man entices his students back to class at the end of breaks by playing bagpipes and performs Amazing Grace at graduation at the end of the course.)

Gulati says the majority of students come to the class for one reason. Here in Florida and in other states, by completing the course, graduates earn a special certificate that allows them to get a significant yearly discount on their motor vehicle insurance for three years. After that, a driver must retake the class to take advantage of the discount. One senior couple living in Gulfport, who just took the course, noted their savings will be about $300 per year.

However, despite this incentive that helps get people in the door, Gulati said his students end up walking away with more than just a certificate good for an insurance discount. By taking the class, he says, they truly learn how to drive safely – either because he is able to refresh someone’s memory regarding driving rules of the road or he gives them something new they didn’t know before. “I keep up with facts and figures about driving for my classes,” he said.

His diligence in working to be an effective instructor has paid off, and his students agree they truly learn from the experience. A recent graduate of the class, Toni Guecia, 64, also a Gulfport resident, stated, “Mr. Gulati is wonderful, nice personality, a very pleasant person and good instructor. This course helped me refresh my memory on safety rules. I learned a lot, though, like how to properly position the headrest and where I need to correctly position my hands on the steering wheel when driving.”

Ermeline White, 87, of St. Petersburg echoed Guecia's sentiments and stated she found Gulati to be an “excellent” instructor. “He is very thorough. You hardly need to question anything" because he has covered it, she said. She said before this class she had never heard the term anti-lock brakes and doubts her 1998 Plymouth Breeze has them. But she's glad she knows about them now. 

So exactly what does Gulati cover in AARP Driver Safety that seniors are so pleased to learn? Key sections of the curriculum include:

• Knowing Ourselves, which addresses vision, hearing, reaction time, physical fitness and flexibility and the ramifications of medications and alcohol when it comes to older drivers, along with tips on how to deal with these issues.

• Safe Driving Strategies, a section on how to drive more safely during adverse weather, what you do to avoid head-on crashes, helpful intersection strategies and ways to prevent parking lot hazards. 

• Driving Partners, a part of the course that provides tips on how to drive safely with other road users and identifying ways to prevent and protect ourselves from improper road behaviors such as aggressive or distracted driving. 

• Knowing Roads And Highways, a review of road signs, signals and markings all drivers should know, and addressing the unique challenges of city and rural driving. 

• Understanding Our Vehicles, an overview of key features on today’s motor vehicles for enhanced driver safety, including safety belts, air bags, head restraints and anti-lock brakes, plus what kinds of proper safety checks and maintenance procedures drivers should adhere to. 

• Knowing When To Choose To Retire From Driving, a special section designed to help drivers realize when it is time to retire from driving and utilize other types of transportation options. 

The cost of the class is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. For information on this course, visit www.AARP.org/drive.  

To sign up for the course at the Gulfport Senior Center, call 727-368-3199. The first class in the next course is Tuesday at 12:45 p.m.