Short chat saves lives

A 15-minute chat with an older driver could be all it takes to keep them safe, says the AA Driver Education Foundation.

It will develop a NZ version of America's successful Carfit programme, trialled in Wellington last week under the eye of Elin Schold Davis, of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Older drivers are more likely to be injured in even a minor crash. Our ageing population means that by 2020, 14 per cent of road fatalities will be over 75 years old.

The premise behind Carfit is that older drivers are often not aware of the full range of adjustment available in modern cars, nor the implications of technology designed to keep them safe.

So Carfit takes drivers through a 12-step checklist to ensure their driving position is at the optimum to safely control the car and protect them in a crash, with the reasons for those adjustments explained.

Schold Davis says age-related changes such as stature, posture, stiffness or pain and speed of scanning can affect our ability to drive safely, but a correctly adjusted car - or an appropriate device, such as a pedal extender or a hand control - can extend your safe driving life.

AA DEF chair Mike Noon says it will work with government departments and related agencies to develop Carfit for New Zealand, with a planned rollout this year.