By Sam Gilkey
For the News-Gazette

Your shoes fit. Your clothes fit.

But how about your car or truck? Does it fit you as it should?

CarFit is a program that offers older adults an opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them, what they can do to improve the fit and increase their safety and that of others as well.

The program was created by the American Society on Aging and developed with the help of the AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

The St. Cloud Police Department will sponsor it locally Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Senior Center, 3101 17th St.

“We are very happy to offer this program to our seniors,” said St. Cloud Chief of Police Pete Gauntlett. “This nationwide course provides valuable information to help enhance our folks’ safety as drivers. In this day and age, when we are living and driving longer, this type of course can dramatically improve safety for everyone on the road.”

Older drivers are often the safest drivers because they are more likely to wear their seat belts and less likely to drink and drive. However, older drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured during a crash because of the greater fragility of their aging bodies.

Senior drivers can improve their safety by making sure their vehicles are properly adjusted for them. At a CarFit event, a team will work with each driver to ensure they “fit” their car properly for maximum safety and comfort. The check takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Three examples of the 12 key areas underscore the importance of road safety in the CarFit program.

• Knowing how to properly adjust the car’s mirrors will greatly cut down the blind spots for drivers who want to change lanes.

• Good foot positioning on the gas and brake pedals is important. If the driver is reaching with their toes to press the pedals it can cause fatigue in the leg and slow reaction times.

• Drivers run a risk of serious injury if they sit closer than 10 inches to the steering wheel.

There is no cost for the vehicle check but pre-registration is recommended to guarantee a place in line. To pre-register call Officer Chad Durham at the St. Cloud Police Department at 407-891-6700, Ext. 6735. Walk ups are welcome but on a first -come, first-served basis.

Officer Durham can be contacted by those wanting to serve as a CarFit technician. A four-hour training session will be held at the St. Cloud Police Department Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The training teaches the three parts of the event: check-in, check-up and check-out.

More information on the program is available at www.car-fit.org.