Driver Safety

By Michelle Cerulli McAdams

In support of Veterans Day (November 11), AARP Driver Safety will offer the AARP Smart Driver™ online course for 30% off for the entire month of November. From November 1 – 30, AARP members and non-members can save 30% when they take the online course by entering the promotion code VETFB during registration and checkout. Participants can register at bit.ly/adsSO.

From conversations on creating a secure financial future, to learning how to protect yourself against fraud, to discovering your “what’s next,” to gaining skills for a job search, and more, AARP Connecticut hosts numerous events across a wide variety of topics in communities throughout the state every month. The events are open to the public, and while some require registration, others do not. For questions, contact AARP Connecticut Community Outreach Director Erica Michalowski at 860-548-3163 or emichalowski@aarp.org.

Duane Bergeson of Bismarck will be presented with the 2016 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service during a volunteer recognition banquet Oct. 5 in Bismarck.

Cars have changed. So have the traffic rules, driving conditions, and the roads you travel every day. Some drivers age 50-plus have never looked back since they got their first driver's licenses, but even the most experienced benefit from brushing up on their driving skills.

AARP Idaho is pleased to welcome Becky Young of Blackfoot, as the new state coordinator of the Driver Safety Program in Idaho. As state coordinator, Young will organize and oversee all of the volunteer driver safety instructors who teach courses in cities and towns across the Gem State.

Did you know there are more than 90 million drivers age 50+ nationwide, and yet AARP Driver Safety reaches just 1 percent of them annually? Especially as driving distractions increase so does the need for safer highway and roadways with alert and fully informed drivers -- and this is where you can help!

There was a packed house at the Botanica Gardens in Wichita in August as area residents gathered to hear about volunteer opportunities that are available through AARP Kansas. While many of those who attended know AARP for its discounts and insurance product endorsements, many didn't realize that AARP recruits volunteers to do a variety of work in communities across the state such as advocacy, community outreach, helping prepare tax returns, and teaching safer driving, as well as serving on the AARP Executive Council and Diversity Council.

Maintaining a safe and reliable car is not always easy. Finding a good, honest mechanic, understanding the trouble and defining a reasonable price for repair work can be a challenge. Lack of knowledge can lead to frustration and overspending - and even make you vulnerable to fraud.

Are you concerned about an aging parent’s driving? If you live near Manchester, expert guidance is coming Sept. 15 at a free AARP New Hampshire seminar.