A Drive to Drive : To Feel at Home on the Road, Seniors Relearn the Rules

Nick Vitale asked the 40 students in his drivers education class for the best strategy in a hypothetical situation:

“You’re on the freeway, cars are whizzing by and you can’t handle the pressure. What should you do?”

The first student to answer said he would keep on driving. He would be afraid to exit from the freeway, he explained, because he often finds it difficult to get back on a freeway. The fast traffic makes it hard for him to merge onto the freeway from an on-ramp.

“Well, I’d get the hell off as soon as possible,” shouted another student, and most in the class agreed with her during the discussion that followed. It was best to drive along and try to stay calm while the other cars passed, they decided.

The session in Northridge was no ordinary drivers education class--not a gathering of kids looking for their first license or traffic offenders doing penance by watching films of bloody accidents.

In this class, a typical student was Rudy Hollosy, who got his driver’s license 55 years ago, when the Los Angeles freeway system had not been built and the San Fernando Valley was a farming area.

“Driving was a lot easier then and less hazardous,” Hollosy recalled of the days when he drove a 1932 Chevrolet. “Even if motorists were in a hurry, they were courteous.”

Now, roadway conditions are more hazardous, and, he acknowledged, time has eroded his reflexes and eyesight.

Hollosy, 75, and wife Marilyn, 55, paid $7 each to participate in “55 Alive,” a two-day drivers education course sponsored by the American Assn. of Retired Persons. There were two four-hour sessions at the Wilkinson Multi-Purpose Senior Center. Vitale, the volunteer instructor, is 74.

The “55 Alive” program, named for the recommended speed limit, was developed eight years ago by the association of the retired to improve driving skills and promote road safety among drivers 50 and older.

“Older adults often feel intimidated on the road,” said Lou Ward, 74, assistant state coordinator for “55 Alive.”

Declining sensory ability--impaired physical coordination, hearing and vision--accounts for most accidents involving older drivers, according to association spokesman Stephen Stiles. Such drivers are more likely to turn or change lanes improperly, act carelessly in crossing an intersection, fail to observe traffic signs or yield the right of way, he said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 1983 that motorists 65 and older drove an average of 4,600 miles a year, less than half the 9,400 miles averaged by drivers under 65. But, for every million vehicle miles traveled, the older drivers were involved in 8.76 accidents--more than any other age group over 25.

A series of fatal accidents in which elderly drivers went the wrong way on Southern California freeways prompted the passage of legislation last year authorizing judges to order new driving tests for motorists who may be physically or mentally impaired. The law goes into effect July 1.

Students Discuss Articles

Vitale asked members of his class to clip newspaper articles about accidents so they could discuss the causes. One woman brought in a report about an incident in which one motorist became so incensed when a pickup truck cut him off that he jumped into the rear of the truck, threw a rope around the driver’s neck and tried to cut him with a piece of glass.

“The other driver was smart,” the woman said. “He kept driving towards a police station.”

Others said the driver who jumped onto the truck should lose his license.

A clip about an accident in which a victim did not wear a seat belt prompted a lively debate.

One woman contended that most accident victims who wear seat belts die because they are trapped in their cars. But another class member, Audrey Hedlund, 62, a retired school nurse from Chatsworth, said most fatalities happen when the belts are not worn.

Refusal to Wear Belts

Although Vitale agreed with Hedlund and urged students to buckle up, many students said they would not use seat belts.

Marilyn Hollosy said the eight-hour course buoyed her confidence and taught her defensive-driving techniques.

“I have been driving for at least 40 years, but my vision has weakened gradually. Most older adults do not understand and refuse to accept their physical limitations,” she said. “The problem is that, instead of making needed adjustments, we have a tendency to become overly cautious drivers. But I feel more comfortable behind the steering wheel now.”

The association of retired persons is offering “55 Alive” nationwide. In California, there soon will be a financial incentive to participate.

Discounts Available July 1

Effective July 1 is a state requirement that insurance companies give discounts--without specifying an amount--on automobile insurance for people 55 and older who complete a drivers education program every three years.

Mario Balbiani, who evaluates driving schools for the state Department of Motor Vehicles, said the discounts will vary depending on the insurance carrier and a person’s driving record. In addition, insurance companies will recognize only state-approved courses, he said, adding that the DMV’s guidelines for “mature drivers” programs will be issued within six weeks.

Stiles said similar legislation has been passed or proposed in 18 other states and predicted that such measures will lead to greater enrollment in courses such as “55 Alive.”

“It’s human nature that people become motivated by economic incentives,” he said. “AARP isn’t in the business of putting dollars back into the pockets of older drivers. But we do care about improving their driving skills and keeping the roads safe.”