Car-Fit Program Helps Senior Drivers in West Caldwell

Sitting too close to the steering wheel or not wearing a seat belt properly can make all the difference in the comfort as well as safety of a senior driver.

Residents of Crane’s Mill, an independent living facility for seniors in West Caldwell, learned these and other valuable lessons Thursday when they participated in a program called Car-Fit.

A total of 28 seniors registered for the free program run by Seton Hall University’s occupational therapy department with assistance from AAA in the facility’s parking lot.

“The idea is that people want to keep their independence as long as possible,” said Tom Ragusa, marketing manager at Crane’s Mill.

Graduate students in Assistant Professor Meryl Picard’s class worked in teams of three to walk the mature drivers through the 12-point program.

Fitting seniors properly to their cars, Picard said, increases their safety.

The occupational therapist said 1 in 4 drivers will be over the age of 65 by 2030. 

“We really need to talk about, are people really fitting their vehicles?” she said.

AAA Traffic Safety Manager Ed Baginski said Car-Fit was developed by AAA, AARP and AOTA, the American Occupational Therapy Association, in 2004 and the program went national in 2006.

“Each organization brought an interest and they combined them to make the program,” said Baginski, who helped train and prepare the second year graduate students earlier in the day.

Baginski said the program is valuable in opening the discussion for older drivers looking to be more comfortable in their cars.

Richard Carter, 75, drove up in his Suburb Legacy to partake in Car-Fit.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “Some people are afraid you are going to test their driving.”

Carter said among other things he learned you can adjust your side mirrors to eliminate blind spots. 

“I had them too much in toward me,” he said.

Still he seemed proud to walk away with a good report.

Carter said, “I was very close to where I was supposed to be."

Find a Car-Fit event in your area at www.car-fit.org.