The Highway Safety Project will present its first “CarFit” event on Saturday, December 4, 2010, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Colonial Toyota in Indiana on Route 422, across from the YMCA.
The program, especially designed for drivers age sixty-five and older, will evaluate how well motorists and their vehicles work together.
Government statistics project that by 2030, one in five drivers—or 30 million Americans—will be age sixty-five or older. Statistics also show that seniors have the second highest crash death rate per mile of all age categories.
During the CarFit event, trained volunteers will lead older drivers through a twelve-point checklist with their vehicle, recommend car adjustments and adaptations, and offer community-specific resources and activities that could make their cars “fit” better or enhance their safety.
Occupational therapists also will be on hand to provide information to older drivers on how to maintain and strengthen driving health.
Volunteers include students from the Safety Sciences Department and occupational therapists from Indiana Regional Medical Center and Phoenix Rehabilitation and Health Services.
While appointments are not required, they are appreciated. To make an appointment, contact Sandra Toy, Highway Safety Project coordinator, at 724-357-4877 or stoy@iup.edu.
The CarFit event is sponsored by the Indiana Regional Highway Safety Project, Colonial Toyota, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and AAA.
The Indiana Regional Highway Safety Project is available through a federally funded contract with IUP through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.