Broken Arrow Senior Center holds free Carfit event to help improve safety for drivers

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Broken Arrow Police Department and occupational therapists collaborated to hold a Car Fit event at Broken Arrow Senior Center where they showed people simple safety adjustments they could make to their cars to improve their safety while driving.

While these adjustments help seniors adjust to driving at an older age, the 12-point safety checklist used and the event itself is intended to improve safety for drivers of all ages.

"They're checking for all types of safety within the vehicle," said Broken Arrow Officer Mike Peale. "How does the seatbelt fit? Do they have a clear line of sight? How to minimize the blind spots in the mirror adjustments? So, we're just adjusting anything on the car that needs to be adjusted because as we age, our physical abilities change, our needs change, so they are just evaluating to make sure that everything is at optimal locations."

One attendee, Patty Wall, shared what she had learned at the event.

"I've learned where my hazards are. I've learned if I need a cushion. [It] will lift me some, so I can see from my wheel more because if the airbag will come out, it will really get me hard."

Cheryl Geiger, another attendee, learned she had been sitting too close to the wheel.

Officer Peale added some other things they had the attendees check in their cars. "A lot of folks don't realize that you have adjustable headrests so you can optimize not only your comfort, but also potentially your safety in a crash just by adjusting the headrest. The other thing is seatbelts. A lot of them don't realize the seatbelts are adjustable, so they can be put on for optimal comfort and safety."

After the event, many attendees said they now felt more confident on the road.

The Broken Arrow Police Department plans to host this event for drivers of all ages again next year.