Mature Drivers Renewal & Re-exam

All Class C drivers renew their driver’s license every five years. Generally this renewal requires filling out a short application form and mailing in $25 to the DMV. However, drivers age 70 years or older must take both a written and an eye exam. Taking the written test which consists of 18 questions, helps to insure that the driver is up to date regarding new laws and driving practices. The eye exam is needed to find out if the driver’s vision is still adequate for distance driving as well as safe for night time driving. A DRIVING TEST IS NOT NORMALLY REQUIRED; however, here are several reasons why a driver might be required to have their driving retested:

1. Failing the vision test.
2. Some type of physical disability (that can affect your ability to drive).
3. Failing the DMV written test several times.
4. A medical report indicating a problem that might affect the ability to drive safely.
5. A police officer report in a form which indicates that, in their opinion, the driver lacks the ability to drive safely.
6. A neighbor, relative or friend fills out a form which suggests that they have witnessed the driver operating a vehicle in an unsafe manner and questions their ability to drive safely.

Should a driver be notified by the DMV to retake their driving test, we suggest that the driver contact our school and speak with a senior instructor before attempting to take a retest on their own. Our school can provide the caller with some very useful information that might save them time, money and a lot of frustration.

Following is one of the most common statements made to us by mature drivers who have not followed our advice.

Please call. It won’t cost you anything but the time it takes to dial the phone.

If a driver is required to take a retest and fails it, they will be allowed to take two more tests. If they fail all three tests or the examiner feels that they lack the ability to drive safely, their driver’s license will be revoked. To get their license back they will have to request a hearing which will be held by a special division of the DMV (Driver Safety Division).

A hearing officer from the Driver’s Safety Division may contact them by telephone or by letter to set up a hearing date. At the hearing they may be required to take a written and eye test. The hearing will be private. However, they have the right to bring an attorney or be accompanied by a family member, or driving instructor.

The hearing will be recorded. The hearing officer is required to provide all of the documents and other evidence that the DMV has collected which indicates the lack of ability to drive safely. These documents might include DOCTORS’ REPORTS, POLICE OFFICER’S STATEMENTS, DMV EXAMINATION REPORTS, AND VISION REPORTS. Take as much time as necessary to read, question and examine any and all of this evidence. The hearing is designed to allow the driver to defend themselves and present their side of the story. They may also bring evidence of their own to the hearing which will substantiate their point of view. This might include opposing views from other doctors, reports from driving instructors regarding their ability to drive along with any recent medical or eye examination reports.

If through these reports the hearing officer feels that the driver’s health and vision are adequate to drive, they may issue them a SPECIAL INSTRUCTION PERMIT (SIP). This permit will allow them to practice driving with a licensed driving instructor or physical therapist. This SIP is generally issued for 30 days or more. If the driver is unable to take enough driving lessons to prepare themselves to pass the retest because of sickness, weather conditions, or business dealings, they may request an extension of their SIP.

Sometimes the most difficult thing one can do is to find the RIGHT PERSON for the right job. Finding a driving instructor who SPECIALIZES in working with mature drivers is one of those times. Probably the easiest way for most people is to look in the yellow pages. When doing so, be sure to look for ads that accent the point that the driving school SPECIALIZES in mature drivers. Many driving schools specialize in teaching only teenagers. This is not the type of instructor that can help in this situation. Another way of finding the right instructor for the job is to ask around (word of mouth) at various clubs or organizations and talk to people who have had similar problems and have found a school or instructor that was suited for the job.

Some driving schools require their students to take their lessons in the driving school training vehicle. While other driving schools allow the student to take their driving lessons in their own vehicle. Our school believes that taking driving lessons in the student’s own vehicle allows them to relax which aids in learning faster, thus in the long run saving the student money.

Driving lessons are expensive so take the time to search for the right school and instructor. Keep in mind that most mature drivers require about 6 to 10 hours of driving lessons before they are able to eliminate their old driving habits and develop new ones. No driver is able to learn everything they need to know and change years of bad habits in one or two easy lessons. Be patient and allow time to adjust and develop new driving habits.

When taking driving lessons, the student may be surprised to find out how many things they do wrong. FOR EXAMPLE, they may stop their vehicle at the wrong point, or may not stop at all. They may fail to turn their head to check their blind spot on lane changes, and slow down instead of maintaining their speed to make lane changes. The driver may find that they drive way below the speed that they should be traveling, have their mirrors adjusted improperly, or even be sitting incorrectly in their car.

The Department of Motor Vehicles, Driver’s Safety Division, does not require any set number of driving lessons. It’s up to the driver to take as many lessons as needed to develop the skills necessary to pass their retest. This is where a driving instructor who specializes in teaching mature drivers becomes valuable because they are familiar with the retest and the level of skill you will need to pass it. It’s a good idea to follow their advice. Some people in order to save money take only one or two lessons and try to take the retest. This may save money initially but in the long run they fail their drive test and end up taking additional driving lessons which may cost even more money. CHANGING OLD HABITS TAKES TIME.

WHAT THE EXAMINER WILL REQUIRE

The retest takes longer than an ordinary drive test. A retest may take up to 35 minutes or longer. This is partly due to the fact that most retests include freeway driving unless the driver requests a freeway exemption. This exemption will prevent them from driving on any freeway, but it will also mean that the examiner will not test them on the freeway. A lot of drivers who take a retest fail the test while driving on the freeway, especially in the areas of entering, exiting, maintaining their speed and lane changing.

Following are some of the points for which the examiner will be looking. No one should ever be allowed to drive a vehicle who is incapable of performing these basic driving skills:

1. Stay between the lines; do not drive on them, particularly in curves.
2. Change lanes by signaling, checking mirrors, and looking over the shoulder to check the blind spots without slowing down.
3. Stop the vehicle smoothly at the right place.
4. Drive the speed limit and maintain the speed.
5. Be able to back up and control the vehicle in a straight line without hitting anything.
6. Look down each intersection before entering (70% of all accidents occur from the side).
7. Obey all traffic laws.
8. Know and take the right of way.
9. Make good decisions.
10. Read and react to traffic signs.
11. Be patient and courteous.
12. Be able to see and react to emergencies.

The driving examiner will require the driver to do some very basic driving maneuvers. The driver will be asked to pull over next to the curb. The examiner will be watching to see the driver signal, check their mirrors, turn their head, and check their blind spot. The driver will be asked to make both right and left turns to see if they begin and end their turns properly. The examiner will be looking to see if the driver looks down each intersection before entering it, goes up to the proper speed limit and maintains their speed, makes safe lane changes, stops completely, knows the right-of-way rules, and correctly reacts to both controlled and uncontrolled intersections. In most cases the only maneuvers that will be tested are: backing up in a straight line along the curb and making a three-point turn.

On the freeway the examiner will be checking to see if the driver enters the freeway at a safe speed, changes lanes by signaling and checking for traffic, follows traffic at a safe distance, keeps their eyes moving checking their mirrors, stays in their lane, and exits the freeway correctly.

If the driver for some reason does not hear or understand exactly what the examiner says, they should ask the examiner to repeat the instruction. Keep in mind during the test, the driver will always continue to DRIVE STRAIGHT unless the examiner gives directions to the contrary.

From time to time the examiner will write on the test sheet. This does not mean that something is wrong. Don’t be distracted by what the examiner is doing. Focus on driving TECHNIQUES.

At the end of the 35 minute retest, the driving examiner will take a few minutes to review the test. They will point out errors that may have been made. If the driver passes the retest, they will be informed what to do. If they fail the retest, the examiner should explain why. If the driver has a special instruction permit (SIP), the examiner will send in the results of the retest to the Driver Safety Division of the DMV. The final evaluation will be up to the Driver Safety Officer in charge of their particular case. Should the driver fail they are responsible for setting up another retest appointment. We suggest however that additional driving lessons be taken before scheduling another retest. Many times the driver feels that they failed because the examiner didn’t like them or they only did one or two things wrong and believe that at the next test they won’t make the same mistakes. This is rarely true. Most people fail because they make many mistakes and truly are not quite ready.

BRUSH-UP COURSES

There are many mature drivers who believe that taking a one or two hour brush up course is a waste of time and money because after all they already know how to drive! Then there are other mature drivers who feel a brush up course is an important way to help maintain their driving skills, catch errors they might be making while driving that could lead to an accident, traffic tickets, etc.; and basically accept responsibility for the safety of themselves and others.

Brush up courses can be arranged with a single phone call. The instruction can be given in either the student’s car, or the school can provide a training vehicle. The lessons either start at your home or place of employment. They usually involve freeway driving which includes the proper techniques for entering and exiting the freeway, proper lane changing techniques, correct method for following traffic and developing good vision habits (moving your eyes in a sight pattern) and other basic safety essentials.

The instructor may help the student find better ways of adjusting their mirrors, put them in a better seating position, provide them with useful, up to date information about current driving laws, and introduce them to some valuable defensive driving techniques.

Perhaps the biggest value in a brush up course is having a trained eye observe the student driving and spot mistakes that they may be making of which they are not aware. Correcting those mistakes will make them a much safer and more aware driver.

For many people, as they grow older, driving becomes even more important and at the same time becomes increasingly more difficult. The senior staff of El Cajon Driving School has comprised a list of some useful driving tips that we hope you will read and act upon.

Things to consider:

1. Read up yearly on current driving laws. A free handbook is provided each year by the DMV. You can find it lying on the counter at your local DMV.
2. Eliminate or minimize night driving.
3. Avoid driving in overcast or bad weather conditions.
4. As we grow older, the type of vehicle that we need often changes. Smaller vehicles for example make it easier to judge distance, park, and are cheaper on gasoline. Keep in mind to always purchase a vehicle with the following options: electric seats (as we grow older our posture changes); electric windows (convenient and much safer); hydraulic door locks (a fast and safe way to secure your vehicle); and alarm systems (help to protect your car from being stolen, and most systems have a panic button which you can push to set off the alarm in an emergency, or if you just can’t find your car).
5. Don’t drive with both feet. As we grow older our feet become less sensitive making it very easy to have the brake applied at the same time the accelerator is applied. To drive a car correctly, it’s necessary to apply either the gas pedal or the brake, not both. ONE FOOT IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED TO DRIVE SAFELY!
6. Limit conversation in the vehicle. Talking and driving at the same time distracts the driver more than most realize. Some drivers let off the gas or even apply the brake when involved in talking to their passengers, which can cause many different types of problems for other vehicles on the road.
7. When purchasing a new vehicle, consider how bright the instrument panel is in the daylight. Many drivers have difficulty seeing the speedometer making it more difficult to see how fast they are driving.
8. When taking long trips consider some of the following tips: stop more frequently; walk around, drink, eat and enjoy the fresh air; don’t allow your gas gauge to go much below half a tank. Keep in mind that stretching and exercising are important for both the driver and passengers.
9. Adjust the side mirrors of the vehicle so that you cannot see the side of the car unless you lean towards the mirror. Most drivers have their mirrors adjusted in so that they cannot see the lanes next to them. This is the real purpose of the side mirrors!
10. Use your hazard lights in all of the following situations: debris and/or accident on/or in the road ahead; when being tailgated; and when going slower than the regular flow of traffic (as in towing a trailer up a mountain, mechanical problems, etc).

The staff of El Cajon Driving School hopes that you can benefit from our web page and invite you to e mail or call us directly for any questions or help that you may need. We can also provide guest speakers who will come to your school or organization and speak on the subject of Driver Safety. For further information regarding this program, contact us at 760-736-8288 or 619-401-5342.

TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS

• In 2004, older people accounted for 12 percent of all traffic fatalities, and 16 percent of all pedestrian fatalities.
• There are over 26 million people age 70 and older in the United States. In 2004, this age group made up 9 percent of the total U.S. resident population, compared with 8.9 percent in 1994. From 1994 to 2004, the growth rate for this older segment of the population was 4 percent higher than the growth rate of the population at large.
• In 2004, 141,000 older individuals were injured in traffic crashes, accounting for 5 percent of all the people injured in traffic crashes during the year. However these older individuals made up 12 percent of all traffic fatalities, 11 percent of all vehicle occupant fatalities, and 16 percent of all pedestrian fatalities.
• The percentage of older drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2004 who had BAC levels of .08 % or higher (5%) was lower than for any other group of adult drivers.
• An average of 117 people died each day in motor vehicle crashes in 2004 – one every 12 minutes.

El Cajon Driving School  | 1530 Jamacha Road, Suite Q | El Cajon, CA 92019
DMV License # 4395
Send Email | Phone: 619-401-5342 | Fax: 619-401-8082
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