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Prime Times Weekly feature of the Mail Tribune , Medford, Oregon If your reflexes, sight and hearing aren't what they used to be, it may be time for ... 55 ALIVE Photo by Bob Pennell John Bergstrom, who teaches the local 55 Alive driving class, says defensive driving is key for seniors whose reflexes aren't what they used to be. Medford classes emphasize defensive driving for elderly By JOHN DARLING MEDFORD -- It's a dangerous mix: Traffic is getting heavier and we are living longer. And, like it or not, the older we get, the less skillfully we drive. Oregon law says we can drive as long as we can continue to pass the Driver and Motor Vehicles driving test. But with age, our reflexes, vision and hearing decline and we're simply not as aware and decisive about what's going on around us, said John Bergstrom, a teacher of the local 55 Alive driving class for those over age 55. "I'm in my mid-60s now and I've noticed the change," said Medford Police Community Service Officer Howard Pendleton, who spoke at a recent 55 Alive class. "I'm much more comfortable now driving slow, which means 35 in a 35 zone, not 45. Night vision isn't as good, reflexes are slower. With age, you just drive less well." The 55 Alive school can't teach seniors how to drive as well as they did at age 25, but for $10 and eight hours of class, it can get them a 5 to 10 percent discount on insurance and give them the edge they need to survive in an age of high-speed congestion and road rage. "We teach you to COPE and that stands for concentrate, observe, plan and execute," said Bergstrom. "The whole thing is defensive driving." 55 Alive recommends seniors learn to love something almost everyone hates: a back-seat driver. "Use your spouse or friend as your co-pilot," Bergstrom said. "You're trying to watch the road, but maybe the co-pilots see kids playing or a car coming over the hill when you're waiting to pull out and they can tell you and help you be aware of the whole picture." Pulling out into traffic is the No. 1 weak spot for seniors, Bergstrom said. "We fail to yield when we should. We pull out and we don't have the depth perception to notice just how fast cars are coming at us." "It's amazing how people are driving like there's no tomorrow and cut in and out of traffic," said former Jackson County Commissioner Hank Henry, who took 55 Alive a decade ago. "Defensive driving is the only way to stay alive." Some bad-driving habits of youth spell real danger unless you get rid of them in older years, he said. Young drivers eagerly wait for the light to change and gun it the instant it's green. They also follow too close, knowing they have the reflexes to stop in an emergency. In old age these habits have to go, Bergstrom said. "You have more experience and you're not so wild when you're older, but you're not as fast on the trigger," said 55 Alive student Earl Rader, 84, Medford. "The class really made me stop and think about all the stuff I wasn't doing right, like not analyzing far enough in advance, not looking both ways enough and just getting anxious and driving too fast." Student Anne Miksche, Shady Cove, agreed. "It takes more concentration. I really have to look at what I'm doing and also avoid heavy traffic, like on Highway 62 at peak times." Because they drive less and have reduced muscular and sensory abilities, seniors, on a per-mile basis, get in 25 percent more accidents and are more prone to injuries and fatal accidents, Bergstrom said. But seniors -- like everyone else -- regard driving as an inherent right and hate to give up their keys, he said. At 55 Alive, they are asked to do a self-assessment -- a truthful look at what upsets them in traffic and how many near-misses, fender-benders and tickets they've had in the last two years. "If it's a lot, we suggest they better start thinking about turning in the keys or at least go see if they can pass a DMV driving test," Bergstrom said. Seniors' eyes may suffer from nearsightedness, glaucoma, macular degeneration, light sensitivity and reduced depth, night and peripheral vision. Seniors also may experience reduced hearing and should realize that radio and air conditioners interfere with important traffic sounds, such as horns, truck noises, sirens and trains, he said. In their youth, drivers just jump in the car and go. In later life, Bergstrom said, it's best to plan. Seniors should study the news for road repairs, think out their route and avoid rush times, especially 5 p.m. and when schools get out. Before they put the key in the ignition, Bergstrom said, seniors should ask themselves if they're upset with someone, troubled by a death in the family or just uncomfortable about driving in the rain or fog. If the answer is yes, he said, they should go back inside and live to drive another day. (55 Alive is sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons and is usually given weekly in area senior centers, hospitals or retirement communities. For more information, contact Bergstrom at 770-2593.) Prime Times Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA