Driving is an important activity for most people, whether it is part of their work role or for transport to and from the workplace. Having a disability does not make a person exempt from driving but they are likely to require a driving assessment to both ensure they are safe to drive and to determine whether any modifications to their vehicle are required in order for them to drive safely.
There are a large range of modifications that can be applied to a vehicle to enable an individual with a disability to drive safely. A vehicle will usually need to have automatic transmission to enable some of the modifications to be installed.
Vehicle modifications can include simple additions to the car such as:
- steering wheel knobs that enable an individual to operate the steering wheel with one hand
- extensions to foot and hand controls to enable the driver to reach them more easily
- car seat cushions that provide a more comfortable seating position and/or reduce vibration
- turntables that allow the driver to swivel at 90 degrees to get into or out of the car more easily
- sliding boards that assist the driver to transfer from a wheelchair to the car seat
- lighter steering
- seat belt extensions.
Other modifications can be more costly and involve greater adaptation to the vehicle such as:
- customised solutions
- hand controls which enable the vehicle to be operated using the upper limbs rather than using standard foot pedals
- push brake, pat accelerator
- push brake, pull accelerator
- push brake, twist accelerator
- floor mounted push brake, pull accelerator
- hoists that enable an individual to be lifted from their wheelchair into the car seat
- manual or electronically operated swivel seats
- parking assistance such as parking sensors or a rear view camera-especially useful for individuals with limited movement
- wheelchair hoists which lift the wheelchair onto the roof for storage during transportation
- wheelchair docking, especially useful when the individual drives from their wheelchair as no assistance is required from a carer
- rear fold down ramps to allow access for wheelchairs
- pedal extenders
- swivel seats which swing out of the car at 90 degrees to allow the individual to get in and out of the car more easily
- wheelchair lifter which has a platform parallel to the vehicle that the user accesses to be lifted into the vehicle.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
A person with a permanent or long term injury or illness is required by law to notify the appropriate State or Territory Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) of any changes to their driving capacity. This will often then lead to the request to obtain a medical certificate and completion of a disability driving test.
A driver trained occupational therapist should be consulted prior to the installation of any vehicle modifications to ensure that the person is safe to drive and that the modifications are appropriate to meet their needs.
For more information on car modifications or driving and transport, please see the links below:
References
Capital (no date specified), Adaptations, Capital, Dandenong, viewed 23 June 2011, http://www.csv.com.au/driver-adaptions/hand-controls/.
Disability Lifestyles 2004-2011, Car Modifications, Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine, Online, viewed 23 June 2011, http://www.disabilitylifestyles.org.au/index.html?page=12621.
Roads and Traffic Authority 2007, Medical and Driving Tests, Roads and Traffic Authority, Sydney, viewed 23 June 2011, http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/downloads/medical_driving_tests.pdf.