even years ago, Stan and Ginger Jacobs were approached by a friend who said their teaching background would make them great candidates to teach an AARP mature driver improvement course. They decided to give it a try and since then have been teaching the course in Lodi, Stockton, Manteca and Tracy. The two come to Lodi four to six times a year to teach the course. They took some time on a recent afternoon to talk about the course as well as provide safety tips for senior drivers. What is rewarding about teaching it? Stan- We hope to make driving safe for older people. One person had an encounter and came back and said, ‘I think you saved my life.’ She had stopped at a signal and said in the past she would have gone as soon as the signal changed. She said she remembered what I said that she should look both ways first so she did that. There was a pickup that would have been going fast enough to kill her. When just one person comes in and says those things it makes it really worthwhile. Ginger- People will say, ‘Oh I didn’t know that.’ Or, ‘I’d forgotten that.’ They will have that aha moment. What are some of the reasons people take this course? Ginger- Probably the number one reason for many people is they get a driving discount on their insurance. For some people that is the primary reason. Some people are looking for a refresher on rules of the road. What is the biggest driving danger for seniors? Ginger- There are senior statistics that say the highest number of driving fatalities happens because of impaired driving and driving at unsafe speeds. There is a quote in the material that one third of crashes for seniors happen at intersections. That’s a big danger for seniors. What are some topics you cover? Ginger- We talk about how our bodies have changed in ways such as visibility, hearing and flexibility. There’s a whole section on the physical and emotional parts of when it’s not safe to drive anymore. We talk about sharing the road with trucks, school buses, bicyclists and pedestrians. Stan- We cover driving strategies and ways we can protect ourselves when driving on the road. We review how to handle intersections and things to look for. What are some good tips for safe driving for seniors? Ginger- One of the things we use is an expression, ‘always expect the unexpected.’ It means to always be prepared and always focus on your driving and nothing else. Be ready to respond to any kind of situation. What is the biggest benefit for taking the course? Ginger- We hope that they’re going to be able to continue driving safely for a longer time. What is the best way to minimize anxiety if you are doing the driver’s license renewal process? Ginger- The important thing is people get ahold of the DMV handbook and study it until they feel comfortable. If you understand ahead of time that minimizes some anxiety. Also, before you go in, make an appointment. That cuts down on a little bit of anxiety. How can a person know when it’s time to stop driving? Ginger- The book gives a list of symptoms like hitting the curb when you are going around a corner or having trouble merging in traffic. If you’re reversing into the mailbox or the garage door. If you’re having trouble with vision. If you have people riding with you and they don’t want to ride with you anymore. That’s kind of a sign that something is not up to par and maybe it’s time to stop driving or limit driving. It’s a really hard thing to admit because we are so independent. One of the things we talk about is looking ahead of time and investigating some of the options such as buses or other forms of transportation. What are some of the reactions you get from people who take the course? Ginger- Most people that take this class will be very appreciative. They will feel like they got some new insights. We usually have a very positive reaction. Sometimes they will say, I have a friend that should take this class. I’m going to refer them to you. Stan- Sometimes we will find someone is having trouble in certain situations and we will spend extra time on those issues. They are appreciative that we spent that extra time. Why would you recommend someone taking this course? Ginger- Because we all get old and every person can benefit from a refresher. Everyone can gain from learning something new or getting a refresher. What kinds of materials do the students get? Ginger- They have a student guidebook and we give them a DMV handbook. They also get a handout on state information. We also give them some additional information that’s put out by the DMV that’s passed out at the end of class.

even years ago, Stan and Ginger Jacobs were approached by a friend who said their teaching background would make them great candidates to teach an AARP mature driver improvement course. They decided to give it a try and since then have been teaching the course in Lodi, Stockton, Manteca and Tracy.
The two come to Lodi four to six times a year to teach the course. They took some time on a recent afternoon to talk about the course as well as provide safety tips for senior drivers.

What is rewarding about teaching it?

Stan- We hope to make driving safe for older people. One person had an encounter and came back and said, ‘I think you saved my life.’ She had stopped at a signal and said in the past she would have gone as soon as the signal changed. She said she remembered what I said that she should look both ways first so she did that. There was a pickup that would have been going fast enough to kill her. When just one person comes in and says those things it makes it really worthwhile.

Ginger- People will say, ‘Oh I didn’t know that.’ Or, ‘I’d forgotten that.’ They will have that aha moment.

What are some of the reasons people take this course?

Ginger- Probably the number one reason for many people is they get a driving discount on their insurance. For some people that is the primary reason. Some people are looking for a refresher on rules of the road.

What is the biggest driving danger for seniors?

Ginger- There are senior statistics that say the highest number of driving fatalities happens because of impaired driving and driving at unsafe speeds. There is a quote in the material that one third of crashes for seniors happen at intersections. That’s a big danger for seniors.

What are some topics you cover?

Ginger- We talk about how our bodies have changed in ways such as visibility, hearing and flexibility. There’s a whole section on the physical and emotional parts of when it’s not safe to drive anymore. We talk about sharing the road with trucks, school buses, bicyclists and pedestrians.

Stan- We cover driving strategies and ways we can protect ourselves when driving on the road. We review how to handle intersections and things to look for.

What are some good tips for safe driving for seniors?

Ginger- One of the things we use is an expression, ‘always expect the unexpected.’ It means to always be prepared and always focus on your driving and nothing else. Be ready to respond to any kind of situation.

What is the biggest benefit for taking the course?

Ginger- We hope that they’re going to be able to continue driving safely for a longer time.

What is the best way to minimize anxiety if you are doing the driver’s license renewal process?

Ginger- The important thing is people get ahold of the DMV handbook and study it until they feel comfortable. If you understand ahead of time that minimizes some anxiety. Also, before you go in, make an appointment. That cuts down on a little bit of anxiety.

How can a person know when it’s time to stop driving?

Ginger- The book gives a list of symptoms like hitting the curb when you are going around a corner or having trouble merging in traffic. If you’re reversing into the mailbox or the garage door. If you’re having trouble with vision. If you have people riding with you and they don’t want to ride with you anymore. That’s kind of a sign that something is not up to par and maybe it’s time to stop driving or limit driving. It’s a really hard thing to admit because we are so independent. One of the things we talk about is looking ahead of time and investigating some of the options such as buses or other forms of transportation.

What are some of the reactions you get from people who take the course?

Ginger- Most people that take this class will be very appreciative. They will feel like they got some new insights. We usually have a very positive reaction. Sometimes they will say, I have a friend that should take this class. I’m going to refer them to you.

Stan- Sometimes we will find someone is having trouble in certain situations and we will spend extra time on those issues. They are appreciative that we spent that extra time.

Why would you recommend someone taking this course?

Ginger- Because we all get old and every person can benefit from a refresher. Everyone can gain from learning something new or getting a refresher.

What kinds of materials do the students get?

Ginger- They have a student guidebook and we give them a DMV handbook. They also get a handout on state information. We also give them some additional information that’s put out by the DMV that’s passed out at the end of class.