Driver Education

Thanks to a set of disorienting goggles, I now know how it feels to get pulled over after drinking 10 beers in an hour. I gained this knowledge Friday in Rosemead at the Don Bosco Technical Institute gymnasium, where California Highway Patrol officers were using the agency's new Fatal Vision lenses to show students how drinking impairs coordination.

Drunk drivers and safety defects are the issues the federal government and independent safety advocates almost always target when it comes to demanding better highway safety. That emphasis, though, all but ignores the much greater problem of drivers in perfectly safe cars who are perfectly sober but generally incompetent behind the wheel.

'Tis the season to be jolly, but go easy on the spiked eggnog if you're driving. That's the message from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and law enforcement officials across Orange County, who are increasing patrols to crack down on drunk drivers. Dozens of drunk-driving arrests--but no injuries--were logged Friday and Saturday, and authorities are hoping it won't get any worse as New Year's Eve draws closer. Some officials are especially concerned because the holidays fall on weekends this year.

Driving classes for senior citizens will be held throughout the area this month. The courses show elderly motorists how to adjust their driving skills as they age. Those completing the two-day course also qualify for car insurance discounts. Called "55 Alive," the program is sponsored by the American Assn. of Retired Persons and participants must be 50 or older. Registration costs $8 and advance registration is required.

The American Assn. of Retired Persons will offer the "55 Alive Mature Driving Course" for people 55 and older this month and next. The two-day, eight-hour class will cover the "physical changes that the older driver goes through and makes them aware of them," said Harold F. Muraoka, assistant state coordinator for the AARP. The class, which costs $8, includes video presentations and physical exercise demonstrations that motorists can use before they begin driving.

The American Assn. of Retired Persons is offering eight-hour refresher courses for drivers 50 and older. Those who complete the course will receive a certificate that may be used to qualify for lower-cost auto insurance. The fee for the course, taught in two four-hour sessions, is $8. Locations: * Corona del Mar, Oasis Senior Center, 800 Marguerite Ave., July 17 and 18, 8 a.m. to noon. Information: (714) 644-3244. * Costa Mesa Senior Center, 595 W. 19th St., July 16 and 17, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Facing the task of slashing even more deeply the Los Angeles Unified School District's already battered budget, a divided Board of Education voted Monday to ask the state for permission to shorten the upcoming school year by 17 days, a move that could save approximately $160 million. The board voted 4 to 2, with one abstention, to seek a waiver from the State Board of Education, which must approve the request. The district has asked the state board to consider the waiver at its June 11 meeting.

The Long Beach Police Department, which last year had more car accidents than it has cars, is considering a driver awareness program for officers to curtail collisions that cost the city $147,000 in damages, according to a department memo. The agency, which has 101 black and white cruisers, recorded 155 accidents during the 1990-91 fiscal year. Only three cars in the fleet were not involved in a crash, according to a Nov.

The American Assn. of Retired Persons is offering an eight-hour refresher course for drivers 50 and older. The fee for the course, taught in two four-hour sessions, is $8. Locations: * Laguna Niguel, Sea Country Senior & Community Center, 24602 Aliso Creek Road, Feb. 8 and 9, noon to 4 p.m. Information: (714) 362-4342. * Mission Viejo, Murray Community Center, 24932 Oso Viejo Road, Feb. 12 and 13, 8 a.m. to noon. Information: (714) 470-3062.

The Los Angeles Unified School District will begin offering a limited driver training program for 12,000 students this year, using state funds to restore classes that had been cut. The district had canceled its driver training classes and laid off 33 driving teachers because the state stopped funding the program. But by using a $1.