Car Fit event helps drivers stay comfortable and safe behind the wheel

Are you completely comfortable when driving? That’s a question Idhao State University’s occupational therapy program tried to answer at Monday’s CarFit event at Holt Arena.

CarFit is where drivers can come and learn the proper adjustments to be comfortable and safe behind the wheel. CarFIt is geared toward older drivers, but drivers of all ages are welcome.

CarFit has 12 checkpoints of safety for drivers to make sure they are completely comfortable in their cars. Some of the things that were tested were a driver’s line of sight, the proper position of the steering wheel, airbag and seatbelts. CarFit volunteers also showed drivers how to accurately adjust side mirrors to help with blind spots.

“People that are fitting correctly in their vehicle are more comfortable, so they’re less fatigued as they’re driving, which makes them more alert and a safer driver,” said Ted Peterson. “Plus, if they are in an emergency situation, they’ll have better control of their vehicle and better ability to avoid crashes.”

Peterson said one of the most common surprising things for people to learn is the proper position of the headrest. He said most people are surprised that it should be adjusted. The proper placement for the headrest is that the center of it should be at mid-ear level.

CarFit volunteers also showed drivers how to adjust seatbelts, especially when drivers of different heights both drive the same car. Peterson said it’s important people remember the seatbelt should go across the collarbone and down low over your hip. It shouldn’t be up higher close to the neck, or lower over the shoulder.

At the end of the event, CarFit also had helpful tools for drivers to look at and test, like seat cushions and larger panoramic attachments for rearview mirrors.

“I may actually consider getting one of those panoramic mirrors,” said Thomas McCasland, a driver. “That thing was huge. It’s like sitting in the car backwards, you could see that well.”

McCasland said he found CarFit very useful and informative.

“They showed me some things about my car that I didn’t know that I’ve had for 16 years so I thought, ‘Well, this is pretty cool,'” McCasland said.

McCasland was one of those drivers who wasn’t aware there was a proper position for the headrest. He thought that was very interesting.

“It had to be raised because I commonly wear a hat and for convenience, I had it very low and I thought it was fine,” he said. “But like they said, in an accident, your body goes up which would mean that headrest is not going to do any good.”

Linda Fairchid had never been to CarFit before and she thought it was very helpful. She’s happy they showed her how to adjust her side mirrors correctly and that they double checked everything to make sure she was safe in her car.

“I’d recommend it to anybody,” Fairchild said. “Everybody learns something out of it so it would be a great opportunity for anybody to come.”

Another important tip CarFit had for drivers was keeping windshields and headlights clean. CarFit said drivers know to keep their windshields clean, but many don’t think how dirty their headlights get. So CarFit volunteers helped drivers polish those up for drivers Monday as well.

CarFit is a national program sponsored by AARP, AAA, and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

More information and tips can be found on CarFit’s website.