SACRAMENTO – Talking with an older family member about their driving is often difficult. Most of us put off that talk until the person’s driving has become what we believe to be dangerous.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) implemented the Age Well, Drive Smart program to assist families with this issue. This program was designed to provide older drivers with the KEYS to driving safe and driving longer.
California’s older driver population is numbering about 2.9 million today. lt is estimated there will be over 4 million residents age 65 and older in California by the year 2020. Knowing that much of this community still relies on driving as their primary means of transportation, the CHP is continuing to promote the Age Well, Drive Smart program.
The program is supported by the Keeping Everyone Safe grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The Age Well, Drive Smart class provides education specifically designed to help seniors tune up their driving skills, refresh their rules of the road knowledge, learn about normal age-related physical changes and how they affect driving ability.
“When driving stops, mobility needs to continue. Senior drivers deserve counsel and assistance in looking for other options,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow.
The CHP invites California’s older drivers to attend a free Age Well, Drive Smart class that provides older drivers the tools to driving safer and driving longer The class is approximately two hours and is offered at local CHP offices as well as many senior centers within the community. The class is a great way for our seniors to educate themselves, evaluate their driving abilities and improve their driving skills.
“We remain steadfast in our mission to maintain and improve traffic safety and mobility for California’s older drivers,” continued Commissioner Farrow.
lf you or a family member would like to attend an Age Well, Drive Smart class, contact your local CHP office. To locate a CHP near you, visit www.chp.ca.gov.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
