The "55 ALIVE" Mature Driving course is an 8-hour refresher class especially designed by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to meet the needs of older drivers. Participants learn how to adjust their driving to age-related changes in vision, hearing, and reaction time. They also explore defensive driving techniques, local driving problems and rules of the road. The classes are highly interactive, involving video presentations and group discussion.

Volunteer instructors, Pam Bartle and Anne Hegberg, have extensive experience as instructors in Marianjoy's Driver Rehabilitation Program, which provides evaluation and education for people with disabilities. Bartle and Hegberg recognized the need to offer driving classes for seniors in good health and undertook AARP training to teach this class.

Many seniors have never taken drivers education classes and find the class to be very beneficial. In addition, people who complete the class in Illinois may be eligible to receive a 5% discount on their insurance fees, depending on their provider.

For more information on the AARP Driver Safetu Program visit their website at http://www.aarp.org/55alive/.