Mature drivers can be safer when they choose the right car, maintain it

Published: Sep/Oct 2000

Before even getting on the road, there are two things that mature motorists can do to be safer drivers: choose the right car and maintain it properly.

In a series of free pamphlets that AAA has produced for mature drivers called “Straight Talk for Mature Drivers,” two focus on how choosing a vehicle that adds to your comfort and maintaining that vehicle are vital to safe driving.

The first, “Buying a Vehicle,” advises mature drivers to choose a car that will remain safe and easy to operate, even when physical mobility, vision or reflexes are somewhat lessened by age. Older drivers should choose a vehicle with options that add to their comfort and control and offset any loss of strength or visibility. Such options include power steering, anti-lock brakes, power-adjust side mirrors, automatic transmission, six-position adjustable seats and large, well-lit dials.

But the only way to determine how comfortable you are in a particular vehicle is to try it out, the brochure advises.

The second brochure, “Maintaining Your Vehicle,” discusses how changing driving patterns affect the way a mature driver should maintain their vehicle. It emphasizes that proper upkeep can keep your vehicle running for years to come–leaving you free to concentrate on the road.

The pamphlet advises that regular checks of the engine collant level, tire pressure, air filter, lights and signals, power steering and brake fluid levels, and the belts and hoses can keep your car operating safely.

For a copy of both, send a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope to: “Buying/Maintaining Your Vehicle,” AAA, 12901 N. Forty Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63141.

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