AOTA joins launch of CarFit Program to
increase safety for Senior drivers…12-Point
evaluation by Occupational Therapists
stresses in-car factors such as positions
for seat, steering wheel, brakes and mirrors
BETHESDA, Md., May 1
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American
Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has
joined with America's leading senior citizen
health and safety organizations to create
CarFit, the first program designed to ensure
that older Americans have properly adjusted
their vehicles to prevent death and reduce
injury from air bag deployment and other
hazards resulting from a car crash. CarFit
was created by the American Society on
Aging, in collaboration with AAA, AARP, and
AOTA after more than two years of research
and development.
"There is no magic
birthday number to ascertain driver safety,"
said
Dr. Penelope Moyers, AOTA
president. "Each person responds to the
aging process differently. The goal of
CarFit is to show seniors adjustments that
can be made to their individual cars to
improve their individual comfort and
safety."
Occupational
therapists understand the critical demands
of driving and
how the ability to move
about the community affects the quality of
life.
These health professionals
have the skills to evaluate an individual's
overall ability to operate
a vehicle safely, and, where appropriate, to
provide rehabilitation to
strengthen skills used in driving.
Occupational
therapists also have the
science-based knowledge to understand
progressive conditions and life changes that
can affect driving. This perspective helps
people maintain their autonomy,
independence, and sense of worth.
For more information on
how occupational therapists can help older
drivers, please point your
web browser to --
http://www.aota.org/olderdriver/.
CarFit includes a 12-point
check list to ensure that senior drivers are
sitting properly in their
own vehicle and that the driver's seat, seat
belt, mirrors, steering
wheel, head rest, gas/brake pedals and other
controls are positioned
properly. Each CarFit evaluation is
administered by specially trained volunteers
and health professionals such as
occupational therapists.
Each CarFit evaluation
takes only 15 minutes, and measures for a
proper
"fit" based on some of the
following criteria:
* Safety belt use,
* Steering wheel tilt,
* Head restraint
setting,
* Positioning to air
bag,
* Line of sight of
over steering wheel,
* Positioning to
gas/brake pedals,
* Mirror adjustment,
* Operation of parking
brake ignition key,
* Operation of other
vehicle controls.
While many driver safety
programs are directed toward improving
senior safety by addressing the senior's
cognitive abilities and skills, CarFit is
the first program that determines a senior's
proper fit in the vehicle.
A trial version of the
program was administered last year with more
than 300 senior citizens.
The results found that 37 percent of
participating seniors had
at least one "red flag" issue with the way
they
were sitting in their car;
10 percent of seniors did not have the right
spacing between their
steering wheel and chest; and 25 percent did
not have the right line of sight over their
steering wheel.
"One of the fundamental
tenets of occupational therapy is that
participation in life is a
vital part of maintaining health and
wellness,"
added Dr. Moyers. "By
increasing car safety for seniors, we can
help them stay mobile and independent."
As part of Older Americans
Month, several AAA clubs will unveil CarFit
throughout the month of May by offering free
car fittings for seniors across the United
States. Many occupational therapists will be
participating in the
events and demonstrating how to adjust seat
height,
mirror position, proper
distance from the steering wheel and other
factors.
For a list of CarFit
events across the country, please point your
web
browser to --http://www.asaging.org/asav2/carfit/calendar_olderadults.cfm
The American Occupational
Therapy Association, established in 1917,
represents more than
35,000 members. AOTA is an active advocate
for the profession, and for individuals who
can benefit from occupational therapy
services.
