Audrey Cline may be 91 years old, but her wit is sharp, her eyes are clear and–best of all–her two-point turns out of the driveway are as crisp as can be.
That is because the Arlington Heights woman is too busy living life in the fast lane to worry about having someone drive her around. She makes regular trips to the bank and supermarket, to meetings of the local women’s club, to the library and to performances of the theater troupe in which she participates.
“I’m a little old lady who’s a better driver than ever because I am completely focused on driving and nothing else when I am in my car,” Cline said. “I know what I’m doing, and I’m not nervous about my ability to do it.”
There are gasps at the Arlington Heights Senior Center and Wheeling Township Hall when Cline lets on about her age. But make no mistake; that’s admiration, not horror, coming from folks in the room.
Cline has risen to hero status in the minds of many local seniors. Last month she ended her 23-year career as a volunteer teaching driving tips to the elderly in association with the state’s Rules of the Road program. For many seniors afraid of losing the independence that driving provides, Cline serves as a reminder that skill, not age, determines when it’s time to hand over the car keys. That is not to say that Cline is not perfectly aware of all the younger folks–meaning those under 65–who cringe when they find out she still gets behind the wheel. She smiles sweetly as she explains she is as worried about their driving as they are of hers.
“I wish they would turn off their [car] phones and use both hands to get a firm grip,” said Cline, tightly clenching her hands around an imaginary steering wheel. “And they should make sure they come to a complete stop and stay with the flow of traffic. Slow drivers cause a lot of accidents.”
Cline brushes up on her driving skills more often than most and drives only during the day when traffic is light and only within Arlington Heights’ borders.
One traffic citation, Cline said, and she would not have been allowed to teach her Rules of the Road classes. She has memorized thestate’s driving rules booklet but still refers to it frequently, and there is not much about her two-door Ford Tempo that she can’t tell you.
Last year, more than 57,000 Illinois residents between 75 and 99 gave up their driver’s licenses. Many seniors do not renew their licenses because they lack the self-confidence to try, said Cline and her longtime teaching assistant, Julie Wright, 66. As a result, the two have spent countless hours reminding thousands of seniors that if they can follow the rules of the road, there is no reason to be intimidated when proving their skills to state examiners.
“Audrey tells someone how old she is, and she puts them at ease immediately,” Wright said. “They say to her, `If you can do it, so can I,’ and Audrey says, `Absolutely.'”
Cline has spent a lifetime rising to challenges, which is why her word is gold to many seniors who have gotten to know her outside of class. She worked to help put herself through Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a master’s degree in botany and zoology in 1934.
She taught school for about 45 years and has visited 79 countries. After her husband died, she took courses in finance to help her manage her household budget and taxes, a move that led her to give tax counseling to the elderly through the American Association of Retired Persons for 19 years. Cline said she is painfully aware that one more challenge is still ahead.
“I’m slowing down, and I know the day when I’ll have to give up my license is coming,” she said. “I’ve been praying that I will handle that with the grace and dignity that I know I should.”
