Carfit ready to help older drivers improve safety and comfort

BIBLE HILL, N. S. – Sometimes a small adjustment can make a big difference to safety and comfort while driving. A Carfit clinic being held June 7 in Bible Hill will help older drivers make those adjustments.

“We find the thing most people find really helpful is the adjustment of mirrors,” said Becky Langille, a geriatric clinician with the Nova Scotia Health Authority. “If they’re adjusted properly, it really reduces the blind spot.

“Trained technicians go through a 12-point checklist and also help with things like correct positioning of the steering wheel and adjusting the seat for comfort. We take time to go through the safety features with people.”

Sometimes people come in with a car that’s new to them and need help learning about features.

Carfit has been operating in the area for five years and only one driver arrived with a vehicle that couldn’t be adjusted to fit.

“She was only trialing that one, so she said it wasn’t a problem; she’d try a different one,” said Langille.

Carfit events are geared toward people 65 and older, or people who need help with adjustments because of a health issue. In this area they’re run by the Northern Zone Seniors’ Clinic, through a partnership with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and the Canadian Automobile Association.

The event is free, but appointments must be made in advance by calling the seniors’ clinic at 902896-2609. The Carfit event will take place June 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bible Hill Fire Hall.