Every Driver Could User Refresher

Whether you've been driving for 50 years or just 5, you may have forgotten some rules of the road, some safety tips, some defensive maneuvers you learned in drivers' ed but have since forgotten.

That's the premise behind the AARP Driver Safety Course that's taught periodically throughout the state. And, while it's targeted at drivers 50 years old and older, anyone could benefit from it says state coordinator Larry Neppl of Marion. In fact, Larry wouldn't mind seeing a similar 4-hour course become required for all drivers to keep their driving privileges. (See today's Ramblin' column in The Gazette.)

I think that's a great idea because every day I see drivers doing stupid things. (I'm not calling these drivers stupid, I'm just saying they're lousy drivers.)

Eating, drinking, smoking, talking on cell phones, texting on cell phones, reading, putting on makeup, wearing headphones . . .

The list can go on and on for what you see people do while they're supposedly driving. They forgot the No. 1 rule:

"Driving is a full-time job."

Technological improvements in cars have made it so much simpler to drive. Automatic transmissions, power steering, power brakes, cruise control, GPS location finders . . . that list goes on and on, too.

But nothing has replaced an attentive driver. You've got to pay attention to what's going on around you to be a good driver. That includes "expecting the unexpected," putting the brakes on stupid aggressive driving that only saves you a few seconds and being a courteous and defensive driver.

As I sat in on one of the courses last week in Mount Vernon, I pretty much knew everything that was covered. It's just that sometimes I need a reminder.

For one, I've always been leery of driving next to a truck. I always try to get around them as quickly as possible for two reasons -- I know they have a huge blind spot and if one of those huge tires was to blow, look out.

Don't swerve to avoid deer. Sure, hit the brakes. But if you whip the steering wheel to one side or the other, you could be in for an accident much worse than crashing into a deer. And we all know that if there's one deer, there's probably another one, so a drastic maneuver may not even prevent you from hitting one.

I'm always frustrated by drivers who zip down the on-ramp to an Interstate without regard for the traffic that's already on the highway; traffic that has the right of way. Sure, I'll move over if there's room, but sometimes there isn't. And, too often any more I see a driver racing onto the Interstate without evening trying to merge smoothly -- they just try to barge right in. This is especially frustrating on I-380 through Cedar Rapids where a lot of people use the highway for only short stretches.

An acronym Larry used -- LANE -- is a good one. Look in the mirror. Activate turn signal. Note your blind spot. Ease over gradually.

I was discouraged to learn that one study says 77 percent of all motorists use a cell phone while driving. Even a hands-free cell phone can be dangerous and isn't like talking to a passenger in your car. That passenger sees what's going on around the car as you do and can limit conversation when traffic is heavy or when you're passing on a two-lane highway.

A 20-year-old driver using a cell phone is the same as a 70-year-old driver when it comes to reaction time, Larry said. Imagine if a 70-year-old is talking on a cell phone.

One study, Larry pointed out, shows the most likely reasons older drivers violate the law or get into a crash: 35 percent are improper use of right-of-way; 25 percent are improper left turns, 15 percent are improper lane changes and 10 percent are ignoring a stop sign or traffic signal.

Older drivers need to be aware that their senses don't work as well as they used to, hence many of them wear glasses and/or hearing aides. Prescription medications can also affect the ability to drive responsibility.

This refresher course is not required to keep a driver's license, although it helps you remember what you should know if you do need to take a written or driving test.

I think it would be a good idea to require a refresher course for all drivers. Maybe after you've been driving for a certain number of years -- 10, 20, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. Not only would you, as the driver, be safer, but so would the rest of us.

What do you think?