Enhancing safety for senior drivers through CarFit program

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - When it comes to car safety, it goes beyond just buckling your seatbelt.

Making sure everything is properly adjusted is also important, and an educational program in conjunction with Occupational Therapy Month is spreading awareness on an issue that often gets overlooked before hitting the roads.

The first thing people usually do when they get into a car is turn it on and buckle up. While these two things are important to get on the road, they aren’t the only things you should do before leaving the parking space.

“The things that we see most often as far as things that don’t fit well for the driver to their vehicle are difficulty seeing over the steering wheel, having that steering wheel less than 10 inches away from the chest, or having to reach out with the tippy toes to touch the peddle,” explained Monument Health occupational therapist Katrin Gallo. “The other thing we see quite frequently is not really being able to see out of that rearview mirror or the side mirrors.”

All of these are what CarFit is trying to help with, especially in the older demographic. While people 65 and older might be least likely to take risks on the road, they are more at risk of being injured or killed in a traffic accident. That’s a statistic the CarFit program wants to improve.

“It’s not that we’re assessing their ability to drive, but we’re assessing their fit in the car,” said Monument Health occupational therapist Jon Bosworth.

“This isn’t determining whether you are cognitively or physically able to drive; it is just looking at how well you fit into the context or environment of your vehicle. We talk about aging in place, adapting your home to meet your needs; this is aging in place or driving in place, making sure your car fits you the best that it can so that you can be safe on the road,” explained Gallo.

The program was developed by AAA, AARP, and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

On Saturday, in conjunction with occupational therapy month, Lead-Deadwood Monument Hospital will be hosting a CarFit event where trained experts will be on-site to offer assistance and show people how to adjust or improve their driving posture.

For information on how to get involved on April 27, contact Monument Health at (605) 717-6370, or if you just want to learn more about CarFit, you can visit the program’s website.

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