As our loved ones age, car safety is that much more important. Experts at AAA say one way to help seniors stay safe on the roads is performing CarFit Safety checks routinely.
AAA partnered with ECC Occupational Therapy students to host a CarFit event on Tuesday. Experts taught seniors how to readjust their cars, making simple changes that not only increase their safety inside vehicles, but decrease potential dangers as well behind the wheel as well.
Kelly Donnelly, Assistant Manager for AAA's Driver Training Program, says, "this is about safety, but it's also about comfort."
Donnelly emphasizes, simple readjustments before you leave your driveway can be the determining factor between a life and death situation.
Here are some tips you can share with your aging loved ones to keep them safer: adjust your steering wheel so it's aiming collarbone or lower, make sure your seatbelt is the right height and across your body, adjust your rearview mirror so you can see the entire back window and when it comes to peddles, make sure your legs have room, but there's enough space for the airbag to deploy.
For those driving with disabilities, experts from Main Mobility in Clarence suggest taking your car to an expert who can check special features like ramps and wheelchairs to make sure they are properly fit.
While hand me downs can be a nice gesture, when it comes to vehicles with special features, specialists say, a custom touch could be life saving.
For more on driving and car safety, visit AAA's website or CarFit Safety.
