Ohio Highway Patrol and the American Association of Retired Persons are joining forces to put safer drivers on the road.

Thursday, September 07, 2000

Ohio Highway Patrol and the American Association of Retired Persons are joining forces to put safer drivers on the road.

The 55 Alive class is scheduled for Sept. 15 at the Gallipolis Ohio Highway Patrol post. The program’s goal, in addition to safety, is to help drivers age 50 and over qualify for auto insurance premium discounts.

"Everyone has room for improvement on their driving," OHP Lt. Carl Roark said. "The main purpose of this course is to educate people that maybe something they’ve been doing in the last 10 to 15 years while operating a motor vehicle is not safe."

He said the objective of the class was to sharpen driving skills, prevent accidents and keep older drivers on the road longer.

The OHP will act as counselors to the program’s instructors and will provide some instruction to class participants, he added.

Ohio law requires all auto insurance carriers to offer a discount on premiums to qualified graduates of the course, Roark said.

He said a similar class may be offered in Lawrence County in the spring of 2001 if enough individuals participate in the Gallia County course.

Registration is limited to 30 students and closes Sept. 11, he said.

Interested applicants can obtain additional information by contacting tthe Ironton OHP Post at 377-4311.