1.1 Formal Courses for Older Drivers

This countermeasure involves formal courses specifically developed for older drivers. These courses are typically offered by organizations such as AAA, AARP, and the National Safety Council, either independently or under accreditation by States. The courses typically involve 6 to 10 hours of classroom training in basic safe driving practices and in how to adjust driving to accommodate age-related cognitive and physical changes. Courses combining classroom and on-the-road instruction have been offered in some locations (Potts et al., 2004, Strategy D2).

Effectiveness Concerns: The effectiveness of formal courses for older drivers has been examined in several research studies. While these studies have found some positive outcomes in self-reported driving behaviors and reductions in police-issued citations, there is no evidence that this countermeasure reduces crashes relative to comparison groups.

Further information about the known research, potential effectiveness, costs, use, and time to implement is available in Appendix A7, Section 1.1.

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