Wasting money on auto insurance?

Perhaps apropos of the median age, the class started with a showing of a 1965 Disney film starring Goofy that was titled "Freewayphobia or the Art of Driving the Super Highway," in which Goofy appears as three separate but equally troublesome driver types: overly timid, overly aggressive and inattentive.

Because the film was made more than 40 years ago, cell phones weren't part of the picture. Still, it held up in many ways. The neglectful or inattentive driver -- the one on the phone, checking himself out in the mirror or eating -- remains the most problematic driver on the road today, AAA instructor Dan Lilleness said.

"We are in the information-gathering business," he told the class, emphasizing drivers' need to stay constantly alert behind the wheel. "You can't miss a thing. It's too risky, and it's too expensive."

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Lilleness suggested that drivers keep their perceptions sharp by speaking out loud about what they see as they drive, by using signs or light poles as markers to count out two-second gaps between cars, and by checking mirrors every five to 10 seconds. Drivers in the class asked for clarification of the rules of the road, such as for uncontrolled intersections, for traffic circles and for pedestrians.

Does it make you safer?

According to AARP, four out of five graduates have reported "that they adjusted their driving behavior as a result of taking the class."

But the only statistically significant correlation is a reduction in traffic violations. There's no solid evidence showing that program graduates are involved in fewer crashes.

Part of the difficulty in assessing the value of the classes is that the seniors who take them tend to be more conscientious anyway, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research group funded by insurers. In other words, before taking the course, they typically have lower crash rates than drivers who don't participate.

According to the institute, the number of people 65 and older is expected to more than double, to 70 million, by 2030. That means the number of licenses issued to seniors, as well as the number of miles they drive, will skyrocket.

Already an increasing number of states are trying to identify and regulate older drivers with diminishing abilities who won't modify or curtail their routines.

Only Illinois and New Hampshire have laws that require drivers 75 or older to retake road tests when their licenses come up for renewal.

But a number of states have accelerated renewal cycles for older drivers, according to the insurance institute, with many seeking vision tests and limiting renewal by mail. The age at which more-frequent renewal cycles kick in varies widely, from 54 in North Carolina to 85 in Texas.

In the District of Columbia, a vision test is required at age 70, and a reaction test may be required. Also, an older driver must provide a statement from a physician that certifies the driver's physical and mental competency.
Published Sept. 30, 2008

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