AARP Car Insurance

As much as the AARP may do to fight it, age discrimination is an unfortunate fact of life - and nowhere is this more the case than in the world of car insurance. Few other industries blatantly and admittedly discriminate against seniors, and the worst part of it is that drivers ages 55-65 pay far higher car insurance rates than they should have to. This is because, from an actuarial perspective, the cost of insuring drivers ages 70 and over would be too high for them to bear, so car insurance companies make younger seniors, 55-65, subsidize them. Well the good news is that Arkansas seniors can do something to lower their costs - the state government says so!


AARP Driver Safety Courses

AARP (The American Association of Retired Persons) offers driver dafety courses throughout the United States, and many car insurance companies gladly grant discounts to seniors who pass the courses. In Arkansas, however, it isn’t a voluntary matter - every car insurance company within the state must give seniors who pass the test a discount - by law! You do not need to be a member of AARP to take the test, but there is a fee involved - in most cases it’s only $10, which is a pittance compared to what you will be saving once you pass.

In Arkansas, the AARP class is a four-hour course designed as a refresher for drivers 50 and over. It focuses on learning to deal with the demanding task of driving in today’s busy streets and highways, and it gives strategies for adjusting to age-related changes in hearing, sight, and reaction time. The course also goes over recent changes to Arkansas laws.


Not only will you save by taking the course, but you might also save your life. After all, as the AARP says: “The roads, vehicles, and traffic patterns of today are much different than when drivers first learned to drive. As the conditions of driving have changed, so has the driver. The course is designed to extend driving years in a safer manner.”


How to Enroll - In Arkansas and Elsewhere

AARP driver safety courses are given regularly in Arkansas and throughout the U.S. Two upcoming courses in Arkansas are April 6 from 8:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. at the Hubach Center in Searcy, AR (for more information, call Lisa Blount at 501-380-1053); and April 17 from 1-5 P.M. at the Valley Baptist Church, 3328 Hwy 36 North, Searcy. If you miss these courses, simply ask your car insurance agent when there’s another one close to your home.

If your car insurance agent isn’t the type of guy you can just call up and ask that question, then perhaps it’s time you started looking for a new agent. In fact, if your agent is an old friend, you’re probably even a better candidate to begin comparison shopping. After all, if your agent views you as a “captive customer,” he’s much less likely to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Shopping around for the best car insurance rates is easy thanks to the internet and websites like carinsurancerates.com. In fact, there are several car insurance companies that give even bigger discounts for passing a driver safety course than mandated by Arkansas law. You’ll never know how much you can save until you try!