By JIM HALL
Seniors will soon be able to custom fit the inside of their cars for safer driving.
The Virginia GrandDriver CarFit program will be at Mary Washington Hospital on Saturday, Oct. 21.
The program recognizes the changes that accompany age.
"As we age, our flexibility and our mobility are different than they were when we were younger," said Jennifer Reynolds, corporate and community programs manager for MediCorp Health System, one of the sponsors.
Drivers can get a free private check of their mirrors, seats, steering wheels and seat belts. A vision check and a driving simulator also will be available.
"This is geared towards keeping people in their cars, keeping people independent," said Pat Holland, senior services coordinator for the Rappahannock Area Agency on Aging, also one of the sponsors.
Driving specialists will be in the hospital parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. They'll help drivers adjust their rearview and sideview mirrors. They'll also make sure seats are positioned a safe distance from steering wheels and air bags.
"Many people sit far too close,"
Reynolds said.
And they'll check seat belts to make sure they're not placed too high.
"It should be more around the hips," Reynolds said.
Virginia GrandDriver CarFit is a public health program sponsored by the Virginia Department of Aging and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Its aim is to lengthen the driving careers of Virginia's 1 million residents who are 60 and older.
"We know that when we lose our ability to drive, we become extremely isolated," Holland said. "Isolation leads to depression. Depression leads to many, many health ailments."
For more information about CarFit, call 540/741-3107.
To reach JIM HALL:
Email: jhall@freelancestar.com