Non-crash course for seniors Non-crash course for seniors (April 02, 2004)

16 from Pleasanton practice driving skills on raceway
by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

What better place to practice driving than on a raceway?

Sixteen seniors from Pleasanton over the age of 70 had the help of professional racetrack drivers in a program at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma County last week sponsored by AAA.

Gretchen Berendt, 83, enjoyed making sharp turns without slowing below 30 mph, with a Jim Russell Racing Driving School instructor by her side.

"He gave us three tries," she explained. "The second time I did it perfectly. The first and third weren't as good because instinctively I wanted to put my foot on the brake."

"It was a little scary heading toward all those orange cones," she added.

She also practiced parallel parking. "I said to them, if necessary I will drive onto the next block rather than parallel park," she said. "They gave us pointers and made us more aware of safety."

"They had so much fun," said Community Service Officer Lisa Mezzetti, who accompanied the seniors along with officers Penelope Tamm and Tom Hansen of the Pleasanton Police Department. They traveled in a plush bus from Black Tie Transportation paid for by a grant from Wal-Mart.

"When we pulled up we saw those formula racecars - those little tiny Nascar ones. They thought they might be riding in those and they liked the idea," said Mezzetti. "AAA paid for everything and provided lunch. And they had actual racing driving instructors."

"They gained confidence in knowing what they could do," said Officer Tam. "They gained a sense that they're safe out there." In addition to the turning and parking, the seniors had a change to practice driving with anti-lock brakes, to learn how to adapt their cars to make them safer for driving, and to practice lane changes.

AAA began to advertise the inaugural program in January but had no takers at first, said Roger Hancock, manager of Community Services for AAA.

"Pleasanton jumped on it and I was so impressed," said Hancock. "Then I was able to tell groups that the city of Pleasanton signed up." Other groups for a total of 65 seniors took part in morning and afternoon sessions at the raceway.

AAA has been helping teenagers with driving challenges for years, said Hancock, and wanted to offer the same program to seniors. It expedited the process after an 86-year-old man in Santa Monica lost control of his car last July and allegedly killed 10 people. He is awaiting trial for vehicular manslaughter. Also in response, the California Department of Motor Vehicles is devising a test to identify those who have lost their ability to drive.

"Age shouldn't be a determining factor in being allowed to drive," said Hancock. "We realized that genuine behind-the-wheel instruction is most critical."

Berendt said she doesn't drive too much anymore, just to the store, church, her son's house. But before she moved to Pleasanton four years ago, she said she would often zip down Highway 270 at 75 mph from Pennsylvania to visit her other son in Washington, D.C.

She said when she turned her driver's license over to the folks at the raceway before driving last week she noticed that it expires when she turns 84 next month. "I'll have to start studying the book," she said.

"As we get older we have to be more aware," she added. "I would hate to have to give it up but I hope I have enough sense to do it when the time comes."

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