UNION, N.J. (June 24, 2014) - Paula Brilliant, 77, of Springfield got behind the wheel to give her car a check-up at the recent CarFit event sponsored by Kean University's Occupational Therapy Department and was glad she did.
"I don't really feel confident driving. I don't really like to drive," said Brilliant. "I'm glad I came because although the car basically checked-out all right, my mirrors were off and those are important. This is a great program, that's why I encouraged all my friends to come."
CarFit is developed by AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association and is designed to give a quick, yet comprehensive check on how well an older driver and their vehicle work together.
Kean occupational therapy faculty and 24 graduate occupational therapy students were on hand to complete the CarFit "check up." The students were becoming registered as CarFit Technicians.
"The program is great because we can learn about CarFit while helping older drivers be safe in the community," said second year OT student Marlee Lynch, 23, of West Milford. "I love the adult population so I was really looking forward to this opportunity."
Clifton resident Marissa Lorenzo, 23, also a Kean second year OT student, added, "I am very interested in working with adults so it was helpful training."
"CarFit provides a wonderful opportunity for our occupational therapy students to work with the Kean community as well as the local community in an effort to promote safety," said Dr. Jennifer Gardner, Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy at Kean University. "It is special to train our students to become CarFit Technicians."
Kean faculty and students went through a 12-point "check up" with each driver, including, but not limited to, the correct positioning of steering wheel and driver's seat to prevent injury in case of airbag deployment; driver's ability to easily reach and maneuver between pedals; and proper adjustment of mirrors to assist with lane changes and merging.
Kean University offers a Master of Science program in Occupational Therapy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). For more information on the two and a half year program, please visit grad.kean.edu/ot.