In the Netherlands, there are several road safety refresher courses for seniors; often organised by VVN, sometimes in cooperation with provinces or municipalities. Other parties also offer refresher courses, such as the ANWB and the Fietsersbond, as well as commercial parties, such as driving schools. As far as we know, the road safety effect of Dutch refresher courses has not been studied. International research shows that training that is well tailored to the individual driver can have a positive effect on the knowledge and driving behaviour of older drivers [33].
In various parts of the Netherlands, in-person refresher courses targeting drivers, cyclists and mobility scooter users are organised (vvn.nl/opfriscursussen). The courses usually consist of a theory section and a practical section, sometimes in one half-day session, sometimes in two half-day sessions. There are also online options such as the refresher quiz that covers all kinds of traffic rules and traffic situations with immediate feedback (opfriscursus.vvn.nl/v/start).
Refresher courses for older drivers often include an actual drive in the older driver’s own car accompanied by a certified instructor. The car refresher course is similar to the earlier BROEM course (Breed Overleg Ouderen en Mobiliteit), previously organised jointly by VVN, ANWB and BOVAG. This course was assessed at the time, although not in terms of behaviour or crashes, but in terms of participants’ self-reported experiences and a knowledge test [34]. This showed that participating seniors were very enthusiastic about the course. They indicated that the course had a positive effect on their theoretical knowledge and self-confidence. They also indicated that after the course they were more aware of their strengths and weaknesses in traffic. However, on an objective knowledge test, participants scored no better after the course than before, nor better than non-participants.
A systematic international literature review found 33 methodologically sound evaluations of training programmes for older (55+) drivers [33]. The researchers conclude that training programmes that are well tailored to the individual driver can improve both knowledge and driving behaviour.
