Online driver safety courses needed
The summer travel season is nearly here, and for many that means more time on the roads—trips for vacation, to see family and friends. With more people on the road, it’s important that we work to keep them safe for all drivers.

That’s why AARP is working to take its Driver Safety Program on-line in Illinois—so that drivers can get the facts they need to become better defensive drivers.

AARP supports two pieces of legislation, introduced by Illinois state Sen. Dan Kotowski (SB 2502) and Illinois state Rep. Fred Crespo (HB 5731) that would allow people in Illinois to take the Driver Safety Program (DSP) online and provide the same incentive—a discount on insurance premiums—as those who take the course in the classroom. But there’s a roadblock—the legislation is being opposed by the insurance industry.

Currently the Illinois Secretary of State is unable to approve online courses, such as AARP’s, for insurance discounts, meaning those who pass the class don’t get the discount that usually comes along with successful completion of a defensive driving course. The legislation would change that and extend a discount on insurance premiums to those who complete the class online or take a four-hour refresher course in the classroom. AARP is urging its members across Illinois to contact their legislators and tell them to pass these bills.

There is a growing need for access to tools that can help older drivers refresh their skills and recognize their changing abilities. The Driver Safety program teaches accident prevention measures; new traffic laws; how to deal with aggressive drivers and road rage; how medications may affect driving; how to safely use anti-lock brakes, air bags and safety belts; and how to minimize distractions, including cell phone use, while driving.

According to an AARP survey of people who had take the course online, more than 90 percent of program graduates reported they had changed at least one driving behavior as a result of taking the course, while nearly 85 percent felt that the information they learned in the course helped them prevent being involved in an accident.

The online course would enable older drivers to take a driver safety course at their own pace and from the convenience of their home, office or computer at a senior center or library. It would provide access to driver safety courses for older drivers who live in areas where they may not be able to attend a classroom-based course. It also provides a choice for seniors and pre-retirees who prefer to get their information online.

Granting more people access to these programs would make the roads safer for all of us. For more information on course locations and volunteer opportunities with the AARP Driver Safety Program, visit www.aarp.org/drive.

Bob Gallo
Director, AARP Illinois
Chicago

Building consensus in Congress
We are a divided country these days, with political parties and their adherents ready to scrap over every issue that comes before the Congress. Yet if we are to make progress as a nation, it will only be because political leaders manage to overcome the forces that divide them. 


Right now, building consensus in Washington is the political skill we need most. It is also the toughest job in politics.

 To begin with, the sheer number and complexity of the issues we face means that it is hard for any single politician to devote the sustained time and attention it takes to gather facts and opinions about a problem, listen to the concerns of the various interests involved, spend time discoursing with colleagues who have opposing views, work with them to find steps they can agree upon, bring in other politicians and interest groups to form a supportive coalition, and then build majority support in Congress.

Moreover, in a diverse nation, with bitterly divided political parties, it is hard to find Democrats and Republicans willing to share credit and set aside disagreements to work together on a solution.

 Years of partisan wrangling and tit-for-tat political maneuvering have left Democrats and Republicans wary of one another, unwilling to share credit, always searching for ways to discredit the other side and interested more in avoiding blame for problems than in setting aside their disagreements to work together on a solution.



And because conflict is more intriguing than harmony, the media often play up and even exaggerate disagreements, setting up an environment that makes it harder for policy antagonists to bridge their differences.

Yet there’s really no choice. With narrow congressional majorities, stark political divisions and huge stakes in every battle for power, responsible and lasting policies cannot be enacted by overwhelming the opposition. Building consensus may be difficult, but today it is the only realistic course.

Former U.S. Rep. 

Lee Hamilton
Director, Center on Congress at Indiana University
Bloomington, Ind.