TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

As currently structured, and as I understand it, the Virginia Law and/or Virginia Regulations specifically state an automobile insurance discount is available for any person who completes an authorized Safe Driver course of 8 hours of which the AARP SMART DRIVER COURSE is one.

First, please allow me to point out that I have taught the AARP 8-hour course for over seventeen years on over 50 occasions to over 1,100 senior drivers.  My classes have been located in the Richmond area and currently in Northern Virginia.  I have appreciated the opportunity to help bring senior drivers up to date and to make driving safer for seniors and those whose lives may be at stake. 

In my honest opinion, I believe that shortening the class to a more reasonable six or even four hours would make the course more appealing and more accessible to older drivers.  Many people don’t want to spend 8 hours for a course and by reducing the time it would become more appealing, attract more people to the classes, and therefore bring more people up to date.  The class could very reasonably be shortened by reducing the repetition, the time spent on the “joys” of aging, and much other minutia of which we are already aware.  The section on “Driver Retirement” is a subject that we will all need to eventually address (if we live long enough) but we don’t need to spend an hour discussing it in class.  We need to concentrate the time on the important issues that affect driving for senior citizens.  That concentration could easily be done in six hours.  I could go on and on with other suggestions. 

The bottom line is that we need to stress what's important for seniors and not just fill up 8 hours of time because of some requirement of the State of Virginia.  Reducing the class time to six (or four) hours would attract more people to the class and improve safety for all.

Sincerely,

Joseph S. Haugh

Instructor, AARP Smart Driver

21085 Cardinal Pond Terrace

Apt. 205

Ashburn, VA 20147