Aug 19, 2008

Does Your Car Fit You?

We’ve all seen it: the older driver who is positioned so low in the car he or she seems to be looking through the steering wheel. That is not just a cliché; it could be a dangerous situation, and now the AAA Minnesota/Iowa has joined with the West Des Moines (Iowa) Police Department to host a CarFit event. CarFit is a new safety program for senior drivers that checks how well the drivers and their vehicles work together. Developed through collaboration of the American Society on Aging, AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, CarFit uses trained professionals who lead senior drivers through a 12-point checklist with their vehicle and recommend vehicle adjustments and adaptations. The CarFit evaluation takes 15 minutes for each driver participant.

Age affects vision, flexibility, strength, range of motion and even size and height. These changes can make older drivers less comfortable and reduce their control of the vehicle. CarFit will help seniors learn how the effects of aging change the way they fit in their vehicle, how their driving can be affected and ways to compensate for the changes. CarFit is designed to help seniors continue driving as long as safely possible. While CarFit is intended for the rapidly growing population of older drivers, its tips can help all drivers.