The California Highway Patrol announced a free two-hour-long “Age Well, Drive Smart” class to provide senior drivers the tools they need to operate vehicles as safely as possible.
The year-long educational program is funded by the Kee Everyone Safe Grant funded by the Office of Traffic Safety. The class will continue to that a person’s performance determines a person’s fitness to drive, not their age.
“Roadway safety and mobility of California’s seniors continues to be a high priority of the CHP,” said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray. “The Age Well, Drive Smart program provides education, as well as alternative transportation options, to seniors and their families to positively impact driving behavior and adjust to age-related changes.”
The approximately two-hour class is offered at t local CHP offices as well as many senior centers within the community. The class is a way for seniors to educate themselves, evaluate their driving abilities, and improve their driving skills.
Age Well, Drive Smart classes are free to the public and provide education specifically designed to help the senior population improve their driving skills, refresh their knowledge of the rules of the road, and learn how age-related physical changes may affect one’s driving ability.
In 2020, there were almost 48 million licensed drivers ages 65 and older in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is a 68% increase since 2000.
There were about 7,500 older adults killed in traffic crashes and almost 200,000 were treated in emergency departments for crash injuries in 2020, according to the CDC.
More information about this free class is available from any local CHP office. To locate an office near you, visit www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office.
