Joe Wood, director of the VHA Golf Cart Safety Program in The Villages, was busy Thursday at noon coordinating speakers for a similar program at the Freedom Pointe senior residence on El Camino Real. The room had filled up early with interested residents.
“We want to be sure we cover all the modes of transportation for these seniors,” said Wood. “We have a representative from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office here, and an officer from the Lady Lake Police Department, to talk about traffic laws and how to operate golf carts safely. Someone from The Villages Insurance group will also be here to discuss available insurance coverage for golf carts.”
“There are so many things to watch out for when you’re driving a golf cart,” SCSO Deputy Richard Bennett
said. “We hope the residents pick up some new safety tips. Driving around The Villages, with its increasing population and traffic, it is so important to take precautions.”
“Many of the prospective home buyers who come here as part of our sales office Lifestyle Program may not be used to driving golf carts on anything but golf courses, Joe Wood said. “It’s riskier driing carts on the streets, where you have to look out for larger cars. Visitors to the Villages and renters may also not be used to looking out for golf carts when driving their cars,” Wood continued. “They may come from big cities where the driving pace is faster, and it can be dangerous for the cart drivers.”
“The golf carts need to be in good working order, especially the brakes and horn,” Lady Lake Police Officer Jimmy Thomas added. “In an accident with a larger vehicle — a car, SUV or truck — the golf cart will always lose. They need to check in all directions and be extra cautious.”
“Some golf cart drivers think they always have the right of way in traffic — and they don’t,” Deputy Bennett said. “Making sure carts are visible at dawn and dusk, and especially at night, is also something we emphasize.”
Executing left turns safely, merging out of golf lanes with parallel traffic, and negotiating roundabouts on the golf cart trails were among the many issues discussed. A question and answer session followed the program.
Car Fit
Fran Carlin-Rogers, director of the Car-Fit event held on Thursday at Freedom Pointe, was happy her staffers and volunteers had a shady parking lot spot under tall live oak trees. A gentle breeze from the lake also helped keep things cool.
Several trained technicians, assisted by about a dozen volunteers, evaluated participants’ cars to help them enhance their safety and comfort while driving.
“We don’t DO anything to peoples’ cars,” Carlin-Rogers said. “They are personal property, and drivers get used to their personal space. But we do make a lot of suggestions for the drivers’ consideration. We give them ideas and resources. Then, it is up to them if they want to make any or many adjustments to their vehicles.”
CarFit is an educational program offering senior citizens an opportunity to find out how well they ‘fit’ in their cars. It is supported by the Florida Department of Transportation, tri-county law enforcement, the Villages district government (VCCDDs), the Villages Homeowners Association (VHA), the AAA and the AARP, offered a free opportunity to find out how well we ‘fit’ in our cars.
“As we age,” Carlin-Rogers continued, “many of us get shorter and we may begin to have a variety of new ailments which may change how we drive. We are looking to enhance seniors’ safety in their cars and also improve their mobility within the community.”
Car-Fit believes many senior drivers are the safest drivers. They have the benefit of many years of driving experience. They are more likely to wear seat belts and less likely to speed than some younger drivers. But, unfortunately, in case of a serious accident, seniors are more likely to be badly injured or even killed because of the fragility of their aging bodies.
Sherri Krummel, an outreach coordinator at Freedom Pointe, had both her parents out helping with the program. They were very enthusiastic about what they were doing and eager to pass along helpful information to the residents.
The technicians ran participants through a checklist which included ability to reach the pedal and brake; adequate road visibility above the dashboard and steering wheel, and adequate distance from the steering wheel. “Drivers can be seriously injured when airbags inflate,” Brookdale senior living outreach coordinator Caurina Watts said. “They need to sit at least ten inches from the wheel to be safe.”
Other checkpoints included keeping windows and lights clean; keeping turn-signals in working order, tire condition and road traction. Also of prime importance is safe positioning of head restraints, side and rear view mirrors.
“Often, minor adjustment to automobiles helps a lot,” Carlin-Rogers said, “like adjusting the height of the seatbelts so they fit comfortably. Other times, we can suggest off-the-shelf products people can buy, like special seat cushions which don’t compact with use. We also assess how well the drivers can see our hands and fingers through their passenger-side mirrors. If there is a problem with vision, we suggest they may want to see their eye doctors and ask what they can do to improve their visual contrast sensitivity.
A cheer went up when each driver honked the horn, signaling completion of their checklist.
At a previous CarFit event held at the Eisenhower Rec Center in The Villages, more than 50 cars and drivers came for evaluation.
“We will be doing future CarFit events in and around The Villages,” said Chuck Wildzunas. “We don’t have firm dates or places finalized yet, but they will be scheduled and publicized soon. We need to keep our pool of trained volunteer technicians growing,” Wildzunas added, asking anyone with an interest to contact him at [email protected].
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