Refresher driving course for older people

A refresher course to improve the safety of older drivers was held in Stevenage this week.

Paid for from the Road Safety Fund, which is run by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, it was attended by 36 people at North Herts College on Tuesday (May 10).

The ‘Keep on Driving’ course addressed the driving behaviours of older drivers with the aim of reducing deaths or serious injuries for this vulnerable group. It involved a classroom session workshop with talks from specialists and round-table discussions.

Participants were either referred by partner organisation or they we able to apply directly to take part. The Hertfordshire Road Safety Partnership organised the event along with volunteers from the Herts Ability and Herts Independent Living Service. The participants were all drivers over the age of 65 who invited to attend the event via the Online Watch Liaison Service.

David Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, said: “The public tell me that road safety is one of the top priorities I should concentrate on. Through the Road Safety Fund, run by my office, we are always looking for new and innovative ways of tackling this issue.

“This older driver course was popular with all those who attended. It enabled them to have confidence in their own skills and recognise areas of their driving where more attention may be needed.

“Not only will this make them safer of the roads but it will also improve safety for other road users and pedestrians.”

Margaret who attended the course said “Thank you very much for a lovely morning, it was very informed, funny and I learnt a lot.  Great company, the students worked very hard and so did everyone else. It was lovely to have lunch and a free bag with goodies inside.

Linda who attended the course said “I just want to say thank you to everyone involved in today’s event in Stevenage. I found it very helpful, lots of useful information”. 

Tim Oxley from the Hertfordshire Road Safety Partnership said: “It was encouraging to see the attendees fully engaging with each of the driving related topics and the interaction they had with the students assisting with the delivery of the course”.

“The feedback indicates all attendees gained something positive from the event to take forward. We’re now in the process of developing the course further to deliver more sessions throughout Hertfordshire”

The Road Safety Fund is currently closed but it due to open later this year. More details can be found at https://www.hertscommissioner.org/listening-and-responding/funding/road-safety-fund/