If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen several “little old ladies” driving around in a huge boat of a car and wondered why she didn’t buy something smaller. But the reason they’re driving those cars is likely because their late husbands bought them and now it’s their only car to drive. They always look too small for the cars, though. It almost looks like they can’t even reach the pedal!
That’s where CarFit comes in. CarFit is a senior-advocacy program that helps seniors “fit” into their existing car better. In collaboration with other organizations like the American Society on Aging, AARP, AAA and the American Occupational Therapy Association, CarFit has a program that offers free “fittings” to make older drivers more comfortable in their car. The program involves a 12-point checklist that includes seatbelt fittings, mirrors, headrest and other controls.
Early tests showed that nearly 40 percent of senior drivers had at least one safety issue that they needed to deal with in the car. Many of them had too much space between their body and the steering wheel. Others couldn’t see properly over their steering wheel. Although it won’t help every driver, the program strives to give them as much freedom through custom fittings to help them stay safe on the roadways.
If you’re a senior driver that doesn’t “fit” in your car, why not just visit your local Buick dealer and trade that in for a more fuel-efficient new or used car? There are so many brands to choose from that it’s almost impossible to not find one that you’ll like for many years to come.
