Sunshine Club

California Highway Patrol Officer Mitchell Smith will give a presentation to the Sunshine Club titled “Age Well, Drive Smart” on Friday, April 7, in Clubhouse 3, Room 2, at 10 a.m.

Research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that senior citizens involved in traffic collisions tend to be more vulnerable than younger people, meaning that seniors suffer more severe injuries.

Crash prevention and invehicle occupant protection become urgent needs for seniors. The impact of aging on driving ability varies widely, but senior drivers need to know that gradual effects on vision, flexibility, and response times may compromise safety and eventually require them to stop driving.

To educate mature drivers, California Highway Patrol offers the “Age Well, Drive Smart” program statewide. The program covers:

• How to refresh driving skills.

Officer Mitchell Smith • Refreshing the rules of the road.

• Learning about normal, age-related physical changes and how to adjust.

• Learning when it may be time to limit or stop driving.

• Finding alternatives to driving.

This approximately two hour class is offered for free.

Smith will also talk about the Westminster’s work to start a Senior Volunteer Program.

Smith attended the California Highway Patrol Academy in 2015 and upon graduation was assigned to the Westminster area office, where he has served for the last seven years.

Over the past eight years, at the CHP Westminster area office, Officer Smith has primarily worked as a road patrol officer, patrolling State Route 91, State Route 22, Interstate 5, and Interstate 405, in the north Orange County area.

For more information, contact Anna Derby at 562-301-- 5339.