Older Drivers Get a Free Competency Review at NE Philly Clinic
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In Northeast Philadelphia today, older drivers were given an opportunity to make some safety adjustments.
In the parking lot of Klein Life Jewish Community Center, elderly drivers went through a 20-minute checkup of their driving skills with volunteers from Street Smarts Philadelphia.
Many of the suggested adjustments may seem commonsense, but volunteer Christina Migdalias says they are often overlooked.
"Whether it be to adjust the steering wheel or the seat. Maybe they can't see over the steering wheel and it's because of one control they don't know how to use," she noted by way of example. "That's why we're here -- so we can help them with that and they can drive safer."
Joan Keyser, 83, needed to readjust some previously made but unwanted adjustments.
"When I had my car worked on, the mechanic changed everything around," she recalled, "so when they said they were having this today, I thought it was a wonderful idea."
And for some drivers, officials note, the changes can make the difference between staying on the road and having their keys taken away.
