This is an appropriate cartoon because Andy and I spent the afternoon taking the AARP Smart Driving Course at our local senior center. We get a small discount on our insurance if we take it every three years, and it has some good ideas. The main emphasis is how we change with age, how the driving environment has changed, and how the technology of new cars has changed. The purpose is to keep seniors driving safely as long as possible.
The booklet contains a self-assessment test to see if you are still safe to drive, and it told Andy there is no reason to be concerned at this time. Kaitlin and I could have told him that, but good for him! It shows a healthy, responsible attitude. I told him when we left the class that I’m a better driver now than I was thirty years ago, when I walked everywhere, but that wasn’t saying very much! I drive only around town unless I have to drive home from Santa Fe when he has an eye appointment.
Practicing my driving is one reason I drive instead of walking the couple of blocks to the Y when I go. I get plenty of exercise at the Y and here at home, and driving is a form of mental exercise. I want to keep that tuned up too.
If you drive, have you noticed any changes in how you do it?
February 25, 2019
The only difference in my driving is that I do a lot less of it. I pretty much go to work and back and rarely go anywhere else. Work is only a 1/2 mile away so that isn’t a whole lot of driving
That helps so much, especially in winter. I’m happy for you about that.
Mom says she is a good driver, but she does all she can to avoid driving at night now.
Woos _- Lightning, Misty, and Timber
One of the hallmarks of a good driver is to know one’s limitations and take them into consideration.
I’m not a driver, but there are plenty of people from all ages, who could do with some refresher courses – or maybe even have to give up their licences. I think I told you about a friend of mine, lovely mid 70s,lady but I’m afraid to be in the car with her now!
Yes, I remember you saying that.
First of all, LOVE the cartoon! Second, I’d not thought of driving as a mental exercise, because I drive so far to work every day. But it explains why I’m so worn out by the time I get to work when I’ve had a hectic commute to get there. It’s all the thinking through routes, how to get around stopped traffic, etc. And I won’t say I’m a better driver because of it, and I don’t want to jinx anything. But that new scratch on my van from last week when I didn’t see a shopping cart may be a little more telling than I’ll admit! :-)!
I thought of you and your senior pups when I saw the cartoon. 😀
Driving demands a lot of attention even when the commute isn’t as hectic as yours is. My trouble is my eyes don’t work well together so my mind has to do a lot of processing to interpret what I’m seeing. When I didn’t drive much I even had trouble figuring out what lanes oncoming cars were in, and that’s much more automatic now. I still do my best to avoid situations where I have to react fast to something that’s going on.
Presumably the shopping cart scratch happened in a parking lot of a supermarket. Those are some of the hardest situations because people and cars are coming from all directions. Even though everyone is moving slowly there’s too much to pay attention to.