Education

The DEER Center education mission has two main components. The first component is to offer programs from AARP focused on the needs of mature drivers and their families. About once every quarter, the DEER Center will offer the AARP Driver Safety Program. The AARP web site describes the program as follows:
The AARP Driver Safety Program is the nation's first and largest refresher course for drivers age 50 and older that has helped millions of drivers remain safe on today's roads. AARP has offered the course in the classroom for 25 years and now offers the same course online. It is designed to help you:

  1. Tune up your driving skills and update your knowledge of the rules of the road.
  2. Learn about normal age-related physical changes, and how to adjust your driving to allow for these changes.
  3. Reduce your traffic violations, crashes, and chances for injuries.
  4. Drive more safely.
  5. Get an insurance discount.

The Driver Safety Program is an 8-hour course delivered in two 4-hour sessions. The cost of the course is $10 to cover the materials provided by AARP. More information about the DEER Center schedule for the Driver Safety course can be obtained from the News and Events column on the DEER Center Home page, by telephone at 989-774-2341, or by email to deercenter.org.

Periodically, the DEER Center will also offer the “We Need to Talk” program for families of a senior driver who may need to reduce, restrict, or cease driving. The AARP web site describes the program as follows:
With the goal of helping seniors transition from driving to not driving with dignity, AARP joined with The Hartford's Corporate Gerontology Group and MIT AgeLab to develop an informational seminar called "We Need To Talk." The seminar is based upon a two-year research study of older drivers' attitudes and driving

behaviors and is designed to assist adult children in talking about altering or stopping driving with an older driver.
More information about the DEER Center schedule for the "We Need To Talk" seminar can be obtained from the News and Events column on the DEER Center Home page, by telephone at 989-774-2341, or by email to deercenter.org.

The second component of the DEER Center education mission is to conduct research on computer-based training programs that may improve the safety of older drivers. Persons who are interested in participating in research studies on computer-based training should check the Research page, or the News and Events column on the DEER Center Home page, for solicitations for volunteers needed for on-going studies. Volunteers can sign up or get more information for research studies by calling the Bridges/DEER Center at 989-774-2341, or by sending an email to deercenter.org.