Mature drivers will have a chance to brush up on their road knowledge with a refresher course this September.
The Saskatchewan Safety Council (SSC) is offering a free course for drivers 55 years or older. The course is touring around Saskatchewan for most of autumn. It will be held in Yorkton on Sept. 15 at the New Horizons Seniors Centre.
Lee Carlson, a safety consultant and intructor for the SSC, will be leading the course in Yorkton. Carlson has been involved with the program for 14 years.
鈥淭he context of the program is to create a level of awareness in mature drivers,鈥� he said.
The course, which usually runs for six hours, covers a host of topics from seatbelt safety, basic road signs, airbags, typical and hazardous driving situations, and accident prevention. Carlson wants to keep mature drivers informed and educated.
鈥淒riving is a routine task. We take it for granted,鈥� he said. 鈥淩ules and regulations change.鈥�
While driving courses can seem intimidating to the public, Carlson reassures people the program is pressure-free. 聽
鈥淭here鈥檚 no test whatsoever,鈥� he said. 鈥淧articipation doesn鈥檛 affect [your] licenses.
鈥淓verything鈥檚 positive.鈥�
SSC is a nonprofit organization. It is not connected with SGI or other government branches. Its main goal is to provide safety education.
Carlson has traveled throughout the province as part of the mature drivers program. He鈥檚 visited Yorkton several times and he looks forward to meeting new people.
鈥淲e always get a good response,鈥� he said.
Carlson hopes attendees of the course learn how interconnected drivers can be, especially when it comes to car crashes.
鈥淥ne collision impacts us all,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all in it together.
鈥淓ighty per cent of all collisions are preventable,鈥� he added. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no such thing as an accident.鈥�
Anyone interested in attending the mature drivers course can register at the New Horizons Centre or call 1-855-280-7115 toll free. Additional questions can be emailed to [email protected].
