Feel Insecure When Driving Your Car
Dr. Emma Ferrer began to feel insecure when driving your car. Transit Miami seemed to have worsened and some drivers were definitely rougher every day. “I started taking buses and taxis and avoid using my car,” says the 72 year old retired anesthesiologist. “Managing I was becoming more and more tense.”
The feeling of insecurity was unusual for this Cuban who immigrated to the United States in 1969 and returned to medical school at age 30, to be licensed in their new country. “I’ve handled from a very young and I was always a very safe driver myself,” she says.
So when he learned of Driver Safety Program AARP enrolled in a course that is conducted in Spanish, 40 miles from home. “There are many drivers who do not care. The red light means nothing to them … not the stop sign … I had to learn how to defend myself, “says Ferrer.
Then he learned to defend themselves and more in this course, taught by instructor Gabino Garrido. The first lesson was … control your anger at other drivers, “because it can happen very quickly from anger to violence.” Ferrer says, now able to ignore them every time they pass and make it obscene gestures.
“Most people perceive that something is changing [in relation to their driving ability] but they can not identify these weaknesses’
In addition, to review certain management techniques that I had forgotten, Ferrer bought some new ones. Now, for example, knows he must keep the wheels of the car front line while waiting to turn left at an intersection. When the wheels of a car are bent and is rammed from behind, or if the driver’s foot slips off the brake, the car veer in the direction towards which point the wheels, that is, into the lane of traffic that comes in opposite direction. “I did not know,” says Ferrer.
Neither knew the hearing, sight and reflexes may be affected by age. In the course learned how to offset the declines. Dr. Ferrer now leaves more space between your car and others and spend more time planning the routes to avoid, as far as possible, left turns more dangerous and the streets with heavy traffic or under construction.
Thanks to the course, regained confidence and now manages more frequently. In addition, you are entitled to a discount on car insurance because they live in one of the 37 states that offer it to those older drivers who do refresher courses.
“From beginning to end, I found the course fantastic,” says Ferrer. “I recommend to all my friends.”
However, you may find it difficult to convince their friends. AARP instructors in various parts of the country does not convince many Hispanics to take the course in Spanish. Also can not find enough volunteers who speak Spanish, to dictate. “We still do not understand why,” says Brian Greenberg, national program consultant. “We should not pass any test, and participants have fun sharing their management experiences.”
Rosa de León, a native of El Paso, Texas, and AARP driving instructor, spends much time speaking Hispanic radio stations and visiting senior centers and churches, trying to convince everyone she meets to take the course in Spanish . Often, most people can convince, cancel your registration at the last minute. “But, I do not give up … I believe in the benefits of program,” says Leon.
The program is effective. But according to the instructors, most people do not realize how much you can help the course, until they decide to take it. Many people refuse to understand that the normal physical changes that come with age, reducing the ability to drive. Studies show that those who do the course have fewer accidents and receive fewer tickets.
People over 55 have fewer accidents in total, that younger people, but they suffer more accidents per mile driven, drivers between 35 and 54 years of age. Approaching 75, the number of accidents per mile driven rises sharply.
“Most people perceive that something is changing [in relation to their ability to drive],” said Gabino Garrido. “But I do not know how to identify those weaknesses.” Garrido and other instructors teach the course students ways to offset the effects of age when they handle and how to avoid common mistakes.
The instructors also re-teach some of the useful tips that drivers learned decades ago, but forgot. “After the course, you know who has the right of way, how to turn left [with care] and how to change lanes,” said Garrido, “the three biggest mistakes committed by most people.”
