WNEU to Offer Free ‘CarFit’ Event on July 7

SPRINGFIELD — The Western New England University Department of Occupational Therapy will present ‘CarFit’; on Thursday, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Blake Law Center parking lot. This is a free event and is open to the public.

“Research suggests that older drivers are among the safest drivers,” according to AAA. “They are more likely to wear their seatbelts, and less likely to speed or drink and drive. However, as people age, they are more likely to suffer serious injury or risk death in a crash due to greater fragility and aging bodies.”

CarFit is a community-based educational program created by AAA, AARP, and the American Occupational Therapy Association. A CarFit check is a quick and comprehensive 12-step check for all ages, but mostly for senior citizens, to adjust their vehicle for their driving needs.

With one-on-one attention, CarFit technicians can quickly and gently identify a driver’s fit behind the wheel and explain adjustments that will give them a better and safer fit with their vehicle. Technicians make sure mirrors are adjusted right, seatbelts are over chest and shoulders, and head restraints are properly positioned in cases of collisions, and more.

The American Occupational Therapy Association, the governing body for occupational therapy practitioners, notes, “because occupational therapy focuses on enabling participation, we are the natural professionals to address driving and community mobility across the lifespan. As occupational therapy practitioners, we have the science-based knowledge to understand [different] conditions and life changes that can affect driving and driving risk.”