APD to Conduct Car Safety Program for Senior Drivers

by Patch Staff

The Atlanta Police Department, along with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute, will host a CarFit event Aug. 15. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Old Fourth Ward's Helene S. Mills Multipurpose Facility, 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave.

CarFit is a national program developed through collaboration among AAA, the American Society on Aging, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association. CarFit offers senior drivers in the community a quick, comprehensive check on correct safety belt position, distance from airbags, and how well their
vehicles suit their abilities.

The event also will provide Atlanta senior drivers with information on how the effects of aging can affect their driving. Although this event is targeting senior drivers, no one will be turned away.

A team of trained technicians and officers from APD’s Community Liaison Unit will work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety.

The check will take about 20 minutes to complete. It is fast, fun and free.

The effort is part of APD's community-oriented policing philosophy, which calls for plenty of community input and police-public collaboration.