The Guy Thompson Community Center, 5629 Byrom St, Milton,FL will be hosting a free CarFit event on Tuesday, April 19 from 10 a.m. to noon in the parking lot to help senior drivers find the perfect fit in their car. Everyone wants to find that perfect fit when it comes to shoes, clothes, and many other items, but have you thought about the perfect fit when it comes to your car? We are not talking about selling you a car, but making the car you have fit you better. CarFit is a FREE interactive and educational program designed to help keep mature drivers safe on the road and how to help “fit” their personal vehicle to their driving needs.
“As we age, changes in our vision, flexibility, strength, range of motion and even size and height may make us less comfortable and reduce our control behind the wheel,” said Ginny Hinton, with the University of Florida/IFAS Extension, Santa Rosa County. “CarFitoffers older adults the tools to better understand and apply the safety features of their vehicles.”
CarFit,which was developed through collaboration among the American Society on Aging, AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, is the first program to offer older adults the opportunity to check how their personal cars “fit” them.
Some of the things that will occur at the April 19 event include:
- Reviewing 12 key areas of the fit to your car such as adequate space from the steering wheel, proper seat belt use, and properly adjusted head restraints.
- Learning how to use and adjust your safety devices.
Appointments are not required, but are suggested by calling the extension office at (850) 623-3868. Each appointment will last approximately 20 minutes.
The trained CarFit volunteers who will make the assessment will not make changes to anyone’s car, but instead will offer suggestions and help show the driver how he or she can make the changes to the car.
“It is critically important that mature drivers make safety a personal priority,” said Hinton. “Driving today is more difficult than ever because of increased traffic congestion, longer driving distances, larger vehicles and faster speeds. Older drivers can take important measures themselves to reduce the stress associated with driving.”
CarFit is an educational program created by the American Society on Aging and developed in collaboration with AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Fore more information, please contact the Santa Rosa County Extension Office at (850) 623-3868 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.weekdays.
