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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 24. Transportation And Motor Vehicles
Agency 20. Department of Motor Vehicles
Chapter 40. Rules and Regulations on Accident Prevention Courses for Older Drivers
11/21/2024

24VAC20-40-30. Course contents and instructional methodology.

A. Course contents shall focus specifically on the information needs of drivers 55 years of age and older. To allow maximum time for this focus, content that is irrelevant or more appropriate to young or inexperienced drivers should be excluded. The curriculum shall include the following subjects:

1. Vision and other physical problems that tend to accompany increasing age; how these problems may affect driving performance; how to compensate for the problems;

2. Fatigue; drugs, both over-the-counter and prescription; alcohol; the interaction of drugs, alcohol, fatigue, and other conditions; effect on driving and precautionary measures;

3. Updates on recent signs, signals, and pavement markings;

4. Travel time and route selection for optimal driving conditions; alternatives to driving offered by public transportation, senior citizen groups, and other organizations;

5. Safety belts and the special needs of older people to use them;

6. Updates on safe and defensive driving under modern conditions, such as the three-second following distance, how to deal with tailgaters, lane positioning, safe passing, safe turning, freeway entrance and exit, maintaining prevailing speed, right-of-way rules, and the driver's responsibility to yield; and

7. Techniques to gain increased time for decisions, such as situations requiring greater following distance, pre-trip planning, passenger assistance, recognizing hazards in time, and unfamiliar areas and construction areas.

B. Instructional methods shall be used that capitalize on the greater experience level of the older adult and that provide ample opportunity for participants to relate the material to past experience and present needs.

1. Courses shall provide a minimum of eight hours of classroom presentation and discussion. This eight hours of time shall be divided over at least a two-day period, in order to allow time for better integration and comprehension of the safety concepts.

2. Courses shall incorporate a high level of student-instructor interaction and structured group discussions in order to relate the concepts to past experiences.

3. Courses shall focus on factual information, its meaning, and how to apply it in driving. Shock effects and scare tactics are to be avoided.

4. Films, filmstrips, and audio recordings shall not exceed an aggregate of one quarter of the total presentation time.

5. One or more written examinations shall be given to cover all subject areas, with scoring and feedback to reinforce learning.

Statutory Authority

§§ 46.2-203 and 38.2-2217 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR485-50-8401 § 3, eff. October 28, 1984; amended, Virginia Register Volume 41, Issue 1, eff. October 10, 2024.

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