New Program Aims to Keep Seniors Safe Behind the Wheel in Lorain County

In Ohio, Lorain County Public Health officials will initiate a new program, dubbed Car Fit, this summer to keep senior drivers safe, reports ABC 5 Cleveland . Car Fit offers a review of how well seniors and their vehicles interact, via a framework developed by AAA, AARP, and the American Occupational Therapy Association. AAA Safety Adviser Lori Cook said it is essential for seniors to feel comfortable with physical limitations behind the wheel. Older drivers may need to find ways to deal with visual impairments, stiff neck or limited head rotation, and less range of motion and flexibility. "We go through a 12-point checklist . . . to give seniors a chance to know what they can fix just on the basics of driving," Cook noted. "It's not that older drivers can't drive and they can't do those skills, it just takes them longer to process the information." County officials will partner with Lorain County Public Health to find volunteers interested in training to become Car Fit experts.