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Intersections, Roundabouts Can Be Dangerous for Seniors

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Wednesday, May 25, 2016   

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Cars, traffic rules and driving conditions change, so AARP is urging Americans to take a traffic refresher course, especially if they're older.

Over the past two decades, Frank Gardner, a driver-safety coordinator and instructor for the AARP Smart Driver Program has taught more than 7,000 Arkansans how to better navigate challenging roadways and cope with age-related issues. When we get older, he said, our hearing and vision change and our reaction time is slower. There's also new technology to distract us, he said, and the configuration of the roads has changed too. Roundabouts can be confusing.

"Some people don't understand the situation," he said. "Be very careful when you're entering a roundabout. The person in the circle has the right of way, but if you're in the circle the person may not always understand and they'll just move you out."

Gardner said most states including Arkansas have a law that requires insurance companies to offer discounts to people who have taken driver-safety courses.

Gardner said intersections are the most likely place where seniors can get into accidents. He said there are a lot of impatient drivers, and advised people to be mindful of that.

"If I arrive at the intersection at the same time as four other drivers, I let all of those drivers go before I go," he said, "and that may cost me 20 seconds. Big deal."

The AARP Smart Driver Course is designed especially for drivers age 50 and older. More than 15 million participants have taken it in a classroom and online. It's offered in both English and Spanish.

More information is online at aarp.org.


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