- CarFit offers free 20-minute sessions to help Utah drivers adjust their vehicle settings.
- Instructors like Paulette Welch ensure drivers know their car's safety features.
- CarFit, by AARP and AOTA, is open to all drivers for safety checks.
SALT LAKE CITY — Most of us buckle up and hit the road without a second thought. But are you actually fit for your car? There's a free program helping Utah drivers find out, and the answers might surprise you.
It's called CarFit. Instructors walk people through small adjustments that can mean the difference between walking away from a crash or not.
Paulette Welch has been helping drivers get safer behind the wheel since 2010. She's a CarFit instructor, trained to walk drivers through their own vehicle and make sure everything is adjusted to actually protect them in a crash.
"Basically, I have seen people that have no idea how their equipment works. They don't know where their emergency flashers are," said Welch. "They don't know how to adjust their seat mount for their seat belt at an angle."
One of the most common issues is drivers sitting too low, unable to see clearly over the steering wheel, and side mirrors set so you can only see your own car, creating a blind spot for everything else around you.
"So, the reality is that all cars do not fit all people, just as all couches don't fit all body types. So, it's really important to know what kind of a vehicle and what you need before purchasing a new car," said Welch.
CarFit is a partnership between AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association. It's free, takes about 20 minutes and is open to any driver, any age.
Check out AARP.org to find an event.
"It's sort of the practical aspect of the driver safety course," said Welch. "It actually takes you in your vehicle and makes sure that your safety equipment is going to do its job in the event of a crash."
Welch said she's had driver safety instructors, people who have been teaching for 15 years, come through with their mirrors set wrong. The bottom line: It never hurts to check.
