Millions nationwide depend on the American Automobile Association’s (AAA) all-encompassing coverage for automotive assistance. AAA’s programs and benefits provide invaluable towing and repairing help for vehicle owners, including the aged club. In addition to these services, the AAA membership includes a host of discounts and other usable benefits for you. However, many eligible seniors are unaware of these services and benefits. To help, this article outlines some of the prominent features beneficial to seniors, including the AAA Senior Discounts they offer to members over the age of 50.
AAA Mature Driver Discount
The Mature Driver Discount is a special offer for individuals who are aged 55 or older and have successfully passed a mature driver course. Through this benefit, drivers receive a reduction in their insurance premiums. The aim of this perk is to reward safe driving habits with money savings. One of the eligibility requirements to avail this discount is that drivers must have a valid driving license.
Some requirements for discounts vary depending on the state you reside in. For example, in California, you must be aged 55 years or older, have a valid California driver’s license, have a clean driving record free of any DUIs or at-fault accidents, and have AAA insurance coverage for at least one of your vehicles.
If you meet all the stated eligibility criteria in California, you simply have to sign up for a California DMV-approved mature driving course. After completing the multi-stage, multi-module course, you will receive an insurance discount certificate. Upon submitting the certificate to AAA, you will receive up to 5% price cuts on AAA insurance premiums.
The duration of the discounts may vary from state to state. In California, you are eligible for this benefit for three years. After that, you can take a renewal course to continue receiving the discount.
CarFit Program for Seniors
Many programs, benefits, and discounts available for the elderly with an AAA membership are aimed at improving their safety and security. One such initiative that has been specially designed for seniors is CarFit. This program provides mature senior drivers with trained experts who can address and enhance their cognitive abilities and driving skills, as well as adjust their vehicles properly for improved safety. Usually, optimizing safety for drivers and other road users heavily depends on the proper fit and functioning of one’s car.
When you attend an AAA-powered CarFit event, a team of trained and certified technicians and healthcare professionals will work with you to adjust your car correctly and hone your driving and cognitive abilities. Participating in an AAA CarFit event is voluntary, and the organizers will keep your personal details and identity confidential. The CarFit event usually lasts about 30 minutes, during which the staff will recommend adjustments to make your car “fit” you better.
During the event, technicians can help improve your driving safety by recommending the proper way to adjust your rearview mirror to minimize blind spots, adjusting your car for proper foot positioning (on the brake and gas pedals) to prevent slow reaction times, fatigue, overstepping on toes, and over-reaching, and advising you on the right way to adjust the steering wheel.
AAA Roadside Assistance 24/7
The Roadside Assistance is a service available for all AAA members. It is particularly beneficial for seniors who may find themselves stranded in remote locations with the breakdown of their vehicle. With AAA membership, you are entitled to at least four fuel deliveries and tows every year. So, if you ever experience a flat tire or a breakdown in the middle of the highway, AAA’s roadside assistance will come to your rescue.
There are different levels of AAA membership, with the classic membership priced at $72 per year. This tier allows you to cover a second driver for free and includes around 4 tows of up to 5 miles, fuel delivery at pump price, identity theft monitoring, and a $50 vehicle lockout service credit for your car. The more expensive tiers offer greater towing coverage and additional convenience features.
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The AAA’s Roadside Assistance offers several features designed to make vehicle ownership and driving easier for the elderly, such as bicycle roadside assistance at no extra charge, assistance with vehicles stuck in mud, and rapid-response flat tire changes.
DriveSharp Program
Brain fitness is a major element in road safety and coherent driving. As a part of your membership with AAA, you have access to the DriveSharp brain fitness software program to strengthen your brain’s ability to process visual information while driving. This unique benefit can help reduce the risk of car crashes by up to 50%, improve the useful field of view by up to 200%, enable you to react faster to dangers by reducing your braking distance up to 22 feet at 55 mph, and provide confidence for night or high-traffic driving situations.
Specially designed with you in mind, this program offers exercises to improve the ability to monitor multiple moving objects, such as bicyclists, cars, and pedestrians, while driving. Additionally, your AAA membership covers simulated driving in DriveSharp to help you expand your field of view and boost your brain processing speed in real-time, high-pressure road scenarios, which will ultimately help you drive safely in real life.
Free identity theft monitoring
Identity theft is a major concern for people worldwide, but seniors feel more worried than most about the registered ownership credentials of their belongings, financial documents, and online accounts. To ease your worries, AAA offers free identity theft monitoring for you. By signing up for ProtectMyID, you can get a slew of benefits, including multiple options that allow you to choose the amount of coverage you want, the ability to detect early signs of fraud with real-time identity alerts and dark web surveillance, and active support from experienced resolution agents in case you become a victim of identity theft.
As a part of this benefit, you can also receive daily Experian credit report details, text alerts, and email notifications in addition to active fraud resolution if malicious elements attempt to ransack and steal your confidential information online. All in all, free identity theft monitoring is one of the most valuable benefits for seniors provided by AAA.
Trip Interruption Coverage
The senior AAA membership positives include trip interruption coverage, which includes (depending on the plan you purchase) reimbursement for car rental, lodging, and meals in case your car breaks down during an AAA-covered trip.
Senior Transportation Mobility Planner
Many senior-friendly programs tend to overlook the aspect of life beyond driving, but AAA has an initiative in place to address it. This planner helps individuals who can no longer drive to start planning today for an enriching life tomorrow. It covers three main areas, including simple preventative steps to maintain mental and physical fitness, taking advantage of the useful resources around you, and, most importantly, becoming comfortable with using alternatives to driving.
As people grow older, they tend to rely on friends and family for transportation, but it is not always convenient. This AAA benefit provides a more structured approach to post-driving life, making it easier for you.
AAA benefits for military veterans
Serve those who served is AAA’s motto when it comes to providing benefits to cherished seniors who have contributed to the military and the country. The special military benefits include travel and merchandise discounts. If you are a service veteran looking for these benefits, you can visit AAA.com/military and verify your military status using your online network ID. Some of the benefits include a discounted primary membership fee of $50, a waived enrollment fee of $15, an extra $5 off when you sign up for automatic membership renewal, up to a $300 gift card for new tour or cruise bookings made with specific AAA suppliers, and many more.
Also, note that each state may have certain differences in the services they provide, so it is best to communicate with your local AAA center to get all the minute details.
Benefits with AAA’s Daily Advantage Visa Signature Credit Card
AAA provides a bespoke personalized credit card that helps you get a host of benefits, such as a 5% cash back on grocery store purchases, a 3% cash back on gas and electric vehicle-charging facility usage, wholesale clubs, streaming service subscription, pharmacy purchases, and AAA purchases. Additionally, it provides a 3% cash back on travel bookings, restaurant expenses, grocery store purchases, and further AAA purchases.
