Course reinforces driving skills for seniors
A Butler man, Dr. William “Bill” DiCuccio, is featured in the video portion of the Seniors for Safe Driving online class.
The program offers online and in-person classes at locations throughout Pennsylvania. Those who complete the course are eligible for a 5 percent discount on their auto insurance premium for three years.
While DiCuccio plays a prominent role in the video, the program is the brainchild of another man.
Leo Parisi, 77, of St. Marys began Seniors for Safe Driving in 1994 during his retirement.
He previously owned and operated a restaurant with locations in Butler, Titusville and Indiana.
Before that, he played professional baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1959 to 1965 and taught and coached from 1965 to 1972 in the East Allegheny School District, where he began the district's first driver education program.
He relocated to Butler in 1973 and was employed by the Butler School District until 1981.
The program began with a few courses in Western Pennsylvania but has since expanded east, conducting more than 400 classes per year. In July 2014, it became state certified as a Mature Driver Improvement course.
“We (certified programs) all have to follow the same criteria,” said Desiree Simpson, manager of the Seniors for Safe Driving office in Butler.
This means that programs like AARP's Smart Driver Course, which allows seniors 60 days to complete online training, covers the same content.
Like the course, AARP offers drivers aged 55 or older a possible auto insurance discount. The Smart Driver Course costs $19.95 for AARP members and $24.95 for nonmembers.
Insurance companies are required by state law to offer a 5 percent discount to seniors who complete a certified training program.
The only possible exceptions are when a senior has someone under age 55 listed on the policy, drives a commercial vehicle, has caused an accident in the past three years, or received a ticket for a moving violation.
Seniors for Safe Driving urges people to check with their provider before taking the course.
For the program, seniors must initially complete a two-day, seven-hour course, but the refresher class, which continues the discount after three years, is only a four-hour, one-day class. Students will receive a notice when they should renew.Larry Nunamaker, 63, of Ford City began teaching classes about five years ago. He keeps students engaged by asking for their input.“I try not to make it dull, dry and boring,” Nunamaker said. “The more they interact, the better the class.”But if seniors would rather complete the class without leaving home, they can take the online version instead.It includes a series of informative videos, covering the same topics as an instructor would in class.It even includes segments from professionals, like Butler's DiCuccio. And now, the online version, which first became available three years ago, is offered without a time limit.“It's geared to entertain you like you're watching a webcast,” said Simpson. “It's not text after text, and graph after graph.”The program reviews topics that seniors may have forgotten and introduces them to potential problems that they may encounter, the effects of prescription drugs or changes in vision.Additionally, it covers subjects like anti-lock braking systems, air bags and Pennsylvania's road signs.Linda Fischer, 67, recently attended a refresher course at Concordia Lutheran Ministries in Cabot.She began taking the class more than 10 years ago when she first became eligible for an insurance discount.“It's a good reminder of things that you generally forget,” Fischer said.The online course costs $21; the classroom one costs $16.For more information, call 724-283-0245 or visit seniorsforsafedriving.com. Those interested in participating should preregister online or over the phone.There are no new student classes in Butler for the next two months, but the next refresher course will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 28 at The Lowrie Place. A complete list of dates and locations can be viewed online.
