Staying Safe: A Refresher Course for Older Drivers is just one of our driver education programmes. We also have our Life Without a Car course and booklet. Contact your local Age Concern to find out more about these programmes and resources. Below is the list of the Staying Safe Courses nationwide this June:
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Staying Safe: Refresher Courses for Older Drivers
We drive on our roads every day. For many of us they are our lifeline – driving is a means of independence, social connection to family and friends and access to essential services.
With the generous support of New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi), Age Concern offers free classroom-based Staying Safe: Refresher Courses for Older Drivers all over New Zealand to help keep older people safe on the roads.
The refresher course is an opportunity for people to be confident their knowledge of traffic rules and safe driving practices is up-to-date. Roundabout signalling, the Top of the T goes before me rule, blind spots and sharing the road with cyclists are only some examples of why people regularly tell us they are glad they came. It’s fun – courses are run in a friendly and relaxed environment with other older drivers. Also included is the latest information on licence renewal for those over 74.
How to register for a Staying Safe: Refresher Course for Older Drivers
To register for a Staying Safe Refresher course for older drivers, contact your nearest Age Concern by searching your postcode below.
For more information on Staying Safe refresher courses, you can visit the New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) website.
Check your driving skills online with the NZTA (Waka Kotahi) self-rating driving assessment
You can complete a self-rating driving assessment online that will help you look at your driving ability and compare it against the requirements for safe driving. All you need to do is answer 15 questions as honestly as possible based on your driving over the last few years. At the end you will get some helpful suggestions to improve any driving skills that are identified as an area you could focus on.
The self-assessment is for your own information only. The only details that NZTA (Waka Kotahi) collect are age and gender details for the purposes of monitoring usage of this tool. They do not collect your answers or final score.
Click here to complete a self-rating driving assessment online now.
Understand the process for renewing your licence
When you turn 75, you need to renew your licence more often. You will also need a medical check to renew your licence. You'll be sent a letter or email to tell you to do this at 74.5 years, 79.5 years and every 2 years after that.
You'll need to make an appointment with your doctor to get the medical check. After your appointment, your doctor will give you one of the following results:
• Medically fit to drive
• Medically fit to drive with conditions, for example NZTA may require that you wear glasses or not drive at night.
• Medically fit to drive if a specialist agrees
• Medically fit to drive if you pass an on-road safety driving test.
If you are medically fit to drive, you can renew your licence at a driver licensing agent.
Alternatively, your doctor may talk with you about whether it's no longer safe or legal for you to drive. Not being able to renew your licence can be upsetting. Take some time to process this news. There are many options for staying connected as we age, regardless of whether or not we continue to drive. Age Concern has a helpful booklet called Life without a Car that provides useful information for planning your transport to ensure you maintain independence and have positive choices. You can find the Life without a Car booklet and other helpful resources here.
For more information have a look on the New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) website.
Other useful websites
For more information on driving and interactive activities to improve your safety on and around roads you can go to:
www.rightcar.govt.nz
www.drive.govt.nz