Oh, the Joys of Driver Education!

It has been three years since we last took the AARP Driver Safety class.  That means we need to take it again or lose the savings on our insurance.

We have taken the classroom course - six hours with an AARP volunteer instructor, following a prescribed course.  Oh, my, it's deadly!  If you don't get a good teacher, it is easy for the instructor to let the class get off-topic, but since the course has prescribed sections, that only lengthens the six hours.  And you can be sure that at least one person in the class enjoys the sound of their own voice.

Three years ago, we tried the online course.  It's also deadly.  When do you ever sit for six hours at the computer concentrating on something that is not your field of interest?  You can check out their courses here.

Actually, the course is very well designed.  It is a mixture of reading and listening.  You cannot skip sections or rush through.  But you can pause as often as you wish, as long as you finish within 30 days.  There are lots of things to click on, so you are not just staring at the screen.  There are videos and they read most of the material to you (which means, of course, that you cannot skim through. . . )  There are quizzes to check your understanding, but they are not graded, and they don't affect your "passing" the course.  If you complete the course, you pass.

The course costs around $30, and with a $5 discount for AARP members, it drops to around $25.  I checked for coupons by googling "AARP Driver Education promo code" and found one that dropped the course down to $18.   And the course is good for three years.

Is it worth it?
It is worth it economically - last year we saved $99 on our insurance (we do live in a high-insurance-cost state).  The reduction lasts for three years, then you take the course again.
It is also worth it safety-wise.  We each picked up a few new tips.