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Older drivers share We all know the stereotype: a big boat of a car crawling along in the right lane of the interstate with its left-turn signal endlessly blinking. The only part of the driver you can see is a nest of blue hair peeking above the steering wheel. Older drivers have been the target of endless complaints and jokes on America's highways, but today's seniors are a different breed. Living longer and leading more active lives than ever before, older drivers increasingly are staying with the flow. AARP is trying to help older area residents keep up with younger drivers and learn to compensate for the changes in themselves and the rules of the road. The group's instructors also are trying to help older drivers see giving up driving not as the end of the line or the loss of personal freedom. At a recent defensive driving course at the Nitro Community Center, older drivers talked about how they cope with getting behind the wheel. Raleigh Bitner, 75, has taught many such classes and says that driving is one of the biggest concerns for senior citizens. "When you're young, you take it for granted. It's second nature. Just turn the key and go," Bitner said. "As the years go by, though, you start to feel more unsure. Things seem different, and you can't react the way you used to." As many in the class pointed out, when they started driving, there weren't nearly the number of older drivers on the road. "Back then, you just had to give up driving," 69-year-old Aileen Taylor said. "People didn't really have any choice." While none of the participants in the class were eager to stop driving, all acknowledged a certain amount of fear at driving -- especially in high-traffic areas or at night. "Cross Lanes is the worst, and Charleston isn't any picnic either," Fred Erwin, 77, said. "Everybody is in such a hurry and all crammed in together. Everyone is so aggressive." Much of class focused on how to avoid those situations. Bitner suggested that instead of making a left turn on a busy street, drivers could make a series of right turns to get to the same destination. When traveling on a busy highway, older drivers need to preserve space on all sides to "bail out" if things get difficult. "And if someone is tailgating you, just get out of the way and let them pass," Bitner said. "Get them out of your hair and drive on. That's the best way to protect yourself from dangerous drivers. Stay out of their way." Which brought the group to the topic of the older driver's roadway nemesis -- the teenager. "Now the girls are getting to be as bad as the boys," Jack Dougherty, 81, said. His friend, 75-year-old Charles Swisher, agreed. "They get a new car when they're 16 and don't have any idea how to drive it," he said. "They pile all their friends in the car and go tearing around. Then, you add experimenting with alcohol to the mix. Look out." While the class also discussed the way that new technologies like anti-lock brakes and airbags can make driving safer, the students, especially the male ones, were all already familiar with the most sophisticated early-warning system ever put in a car -- the backseat driver. "My backseat driver needs a brake pedal on her side of the car and a boxing glove mounted on the dash board," Dougherty said. "That way she can just push a button and slug me in the arm." Aileen Taylor's husband, 71-year-old Edsel, said that he doesn't mind a friendly reminder from time to time. "I guess two sets of eyes are better than one," he said. The classes are offered regularly around the area. Drivers 50 and over can contact AARP for information. Writer Chris Stirewalt can be reached at 348-4824. |