How well does your vehicle fit you or your loved ones? Although older Pennsylvanians are the demographic group with the highest safety rate overall, they are also the most likely to be killed or seriously injured when a crash occurs. Fortunately, there are ways for drivers, especially older drivers, to ensure their vehicles “fit” them in order to reduce their risk of injury during a crash.
CarFit, a free educational program created by the American Society on Aging and developed in collaboration with AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, provides a quick, yet comprehensive 12-point check of how well a person and his or her car work together.
This 12-point process includes checking to see if the person is the only driver of the vehicle. If not, then a reminder is issued indicating that adjustments need to be made every time the person gets behind the wheel. There is an examination of the steering wheel tilt, head restraint placement, distance to the steering wheel and gas and brake position to ensure perfect settings for the person behind the wheel. The program also checks items such as operation controls, seat belt usage, mirror adjustments, neck mobility for blind spot checking and seat position for line of sight.
CarFit is free and confidential to anyone who wants to participate. AAA has several scheduled events in the mid-state area for those who want to have their vehicles checked. These events will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations in 2018:
May 30, AAA in Camp Hill
May 30, AAA in Gettysburg
June 27, AAA in Lebanon
September 26, AAA in Hershey
September 26, AAA in Lancaster
October 31, AAA in Harrisburg