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South Jersey Man Works As Guardian Angel For Aging Drivers

By David Madden

ELMER, N.J. (CBS) -- We've all experienced it: senior citizens behind the wheel who clearly are unable to handle it.

The AARP offers driving refresher classes to those over age 50.  One such class was held this morning at Elmer Hospital in rural Salem County, NJ.

William O'Brien holds this class twice a month at locations throughout South Jersey.

dr driving bill _mad
(Bill O'Brien. Credit: David Madden)

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"We don't make bad drivers good drivers," he notes.  "We make good drivers better drivers. And I challenge everybody when they come to our class that when they leave, they will find something that they'd forgotten or find something they never knew."

Case in point: Julia Pillis of Pittsgrove Township, NJ.

"I recently had a motor vehicle accident where I didn't look on my right," she recalls.  "Somebody was coming up, and because I made a spur-of-the-moment decision, they hit a telephone pole."

Among the issues handled in these sessions is how to know when it's time to cut back on driving -- or stop altogether.

You can find a class near you on line at aarp.org/drive.

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