Norm Toews doesn't want older folks to be afraid of it.

Getting behind the wheel, he said, should be easy. Enjoyable, even.

"Some drive with white knuckles and gnashed teeth, and that's no fun," the 83-year-old said. "I like to make driving fun."

And safe, he added.

The Coeur d'Alene resident has been teaching the AARP Driver Safety Program, formerly 55 Alive, for the past 20 years to give a little peace of mind to seniors rusty on traffic laws.

He will continue his routine summer, with a two-day class scheduled early next month where folks over 50 can brush up on defensive driving techniques, new traffic laws and rules of the road.

"We form bad driving habits sometimes, and young people do that, too, that need to be changed or learned or tweaked," Toews said.

The class includes going through a driving workbook and the Idaho Driver's Manual, as well as absorbing lectures and educational videos.

There will also be a bit of bantering about personal experiences and concerns.

"It's a matter of discussions between participants and myself," he said.

The class, which takes eight hours divided into two days, is well worth the time, Toews said.

Some aging individuals need help adapting to slowing reflexes, he said, or want reminders on dealing with aggressive drivers, left turns, right-of-way highway traffic and blind spots.

"I think virtually 99 percent of the people say they definitely learned something they had forgotten or never thought of," he said.

There is room for about 30 in the class, he said, adding that more courses will be offered this summer.

Toews, who drove a school bus for 20 years, acknowledged that the class has helped keep him fresh, too.

"I love doing this kind of thing," he said.

The class is scheduled on Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9 from 8 a.m. to noon on both days. It costs $12 for AARP members, and $14 for non-members.

The class will be held at Coeur d'Alene Fire Station No. 3, at 1500 N. 15th St. Early registration is requested. Folks can reserve a seat at: 664-4926.

Individuals 50 and over can get insurance premium discounts for taking the class, Toews added.

Not only will it make driving easier, he said, but hopefully can keep seniors driving longer.

"It's kind of a feeling on independence. When a person has to give up driving, you lose your will to live sometimes," he said. "I think this helps a lot."