Older drivers refresh skills

For a second year, New Horizons Senior Centre brought in the Saskatchewan Safety Council (SSC) last week to help older drivers improve their skills.

Lee Carlson, instructor of the SSC 55-Alive course, covered a lot of ground in the all-day session, from road signs to proper use of seatbelts and airbags, but said if there is one overriding theme it is awareness.

"Vision is the key thing," he said. "As we age our vision changes and older drivers tend to narrow and lower the scope of their vision. We try to teach them to be aware of that and how to compensate for it."

Carlson pointed out that a refresher is something drivers of all ages might benefit from because regulations and recommended techniques change over time. Just as one example, he noted that the old 10 o-clock, two o-clock guideline for hand position on the steering wheel has now become nine o-clock, three o-clock. Since airbags have become standard equipment on almost all vehicles, many injuries and even some deaths have been attributed to airbags smashing hands improperly positioned on the wheel into drivers' faces.

The 55-Alive course attracted 46 seniors, almost double last year's attendance. Vi Stefanuk, New Horizons secretary, was very pleased with the turnout, particularly the fact that a higher percentage of men participated.

Peter Legebokoff, one of the organizers of the class and a participant said it was a valuable experience.

"It was very informative for me and many of the others," he said.

The program, which Carlson has taught for 15 years, is partially funded by SGI. Kelly Brinkworth, an SGI spokesperson, explained the course is a natural fit for the provincial insurer's safety mandate. "It's to try to help keep people on the road as long as they safely can be," she said.

Brinkworth also noted the changes of aging, including vision and reductions in reflexes and flexibility are factors in the safe operation of a vehicle.

"What's really great about the course is it helps people cope with those changes," she said.

And, although SGI doesn't keep actual statistics on collision rates for those who have taken the course versus those who have not, Brinkworth said qualitatively the corporation believes it is effective.

"I think it would be because someone taking the course will be more aware of their limitations and how to compensate for them," she said.

Course or no course, she also noted that older drivers have a lower relative risk of being involved in a collision. In fact, according to SGI's statistics for 2011, drivers over the age of 65 (including those over 85) are half as likely to be involved in a crash than the 25 to 45 age group and three to four times safer than the 16 to 25 cohort.

Nevertheless, both Carlson and Brinkworth point out driving is a privilege, not a right.

"There comes a time when all of us have to hang up our keys," Carlson said.