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whats new at seafirst

Welcome to our what’s new area. We’ve created this page to make it easy for you, our clients, to find out what’s happening at Seafirst, and in the world of insurance, and how it can affect you. This page will be constantly changing as we find new information that we think will be useful to you, so check back regularly.

Safety Tips for the Aging Driver

The aging process brings changes that can affect the older driver’s ability to drive safely. These include: reduced vision, particularly at night; a decrease in depth perception; and movement-limiting disabilities such as arthritis and rheumatism, which slow down responses. The rate of aging varies by individual, but it is important to recognize age related changes and learn how to compensate for them. Here are a few suggestions.

Hearing Problems:

Visit your physician if you think you have a hearing loss. He/she can refer you to an appropriate specialist if you need one. Before purchasing a hearing aid, insist on an evaluation of your hearing ability by a qualified audiologist. Allow time to adjust to your new hearing aid. It makes sounds louder, not clearer. Leave your car window partially open; enough to let you hear warning signals. Keep radio noise to an absolute minimum. Place air conditioner or heater blowers on the lowest setting, if possible. If talking while driving distracts you, don’t! Ask your passengers not to communicate with you unless they must quickly get your attention. Concentrate! Stay alert. Don’t let your mind wander, focus on your driving and the vehicles around you.

Right-of-Way:

Never take the right-of-way, even when you know it should be yours. Never put your right-of-way ahead of your safety. Yield to all traffic on the controlled route. Remember, yield signs mean that you should slow down and give way to traffic on the road you are entering or crossing. Yield and obey at all times when directed to do so by a police officer. When starting from a parked position, you must yield to all moving traffic. If two vehicles enter an uncontrolled intersection at the same time from different directions, the vehicle on the left must yield. Remember, the law does not really give anyone the right-of-way. It only says who must yield. Having the right-of-way does not authorize negligent or blind driving at intersections.

See and Be Seen:

Have periodic professional vision examinations to check for vision changes, symptoms of eye disease and generalhealth problems. Give yourself time to adjust to new eyeglass prescriptions, especially to bifocals and trifocals. Practice with new bifocals or trifocals while the car is stationary to develop proper head and eye movement for near and distance viewing, using mirrors and checking the instrument panel. Have your eyeglasses checked periodically to make sure that the lenses and frames remain properly adjusted for efficient vision. If you wear contact lenses, be sure to follow instructions for proper care and cleaning. Avoid eyeglass frames with wide, heavy temples (side pieces). When located on a level with the eyes, these can seriously restrict side vision. Keep windshields and rear windows clean, inside and out. Replace worn windshield wiper blades and check periodically for windshield scratches and deterioration. Replace windshields that are badly scratched or deteriorated. Use good quality sunglasses to reduce glare; grey or green ones are best. Try to avoid driving at dawn and dusk, the most difficult time of day to see.

Following Distance:

Allow a minimum following distance of three (3) seconds in good weather and more in bad weather. Pick out a stationary object on the road head — maybe a bridge, road sign, or pole. When the rear of the vehicle you are following arrives at the selected object, begin to count — one-thousand-one, one--thousand-two, one-thousand-three. If your vehicle arrives at the object before you have completed this three-second count, you are following too closely. Even in the best of conditions, the three-second formula is just adequate. Reaction time is slower than it used to be, and most road conditions are never ideal. So always apply the minimum three-second following distance to your driving. The older driver should maintain a three-second following distance during good weather and increase the following distance in bad weather.

Refresh your Driving Skills:

Even if you haven’t been involved in a collision in 40 years, how many near misses have you experienced? It may be time to review your driving skills. With aging, changes occur in hearing, vision, flexibility and reaction time. You can learn to adjust your skills to compensate for those changes The 55 Alive Driver Refresher Course is designed to help older drivers maintain their independence and their driving privileges. Contact the Canada Safety Council to find out where it is available near you.

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