Motoring after brain injury (view report contents)
Products and techniques
There is a huge range of adaptations to make using your car easier.
In this section:
Getting in and out
Primary controls
Steering
Pedals
Changing gear
Accelerating and braking
Hand controls
Parking brake
Secondary controls
Other ways of driving
Getting in and out
If your car key is small, fit a chunky holder; £5 from general aids suppliers.
Having the seat runners extended will give you more space to get in and out. It may be possible to have an existing seat converted – to be higher, made height adjustable, swivel or to be powered. Costs start at about £800 from adaptation firms.
If swivelling helps, there are turning cushions (mostly between £20 and £80 from general aids suppliers) and swivel seats, mostly from £700 upwards, from adaptation firms. To get in, sit first then turn and bring your legs in, doing the reverse to get out.
Wheelchair users
If you have a manual wheelchair, you may be able to lift it into the back of the car and walk the few steps to the seats. However if you can’t, there is a range of devices and techniques for getting you and the wheelchair into your car. See:
Getting a wheelchair
into a car for details of various types of hoist, racks, trailers
and ramps.
People lifters for details
of hoists and seats that lift you into the car.
Primary controls
Steering
If you steer one handed, you may need a steering ball or spinner fitted to the steering wheel. They come in several shapes and sizes; most cost between £30 and £80.
Changing gear
This is likely to be easier with automatic transmission. If you cannot use a mechanical gear selector, there are systems which electrically set the gear for you, but these can be costly.
Some cars have manual gears that you change without using the clutch.
Pushbutton clutches are mounted
on the gear stick (around £1,000 to £1,500+).
Other types work automatically as soon as the gear stick is moved. If you drive an adapted manual car but your driving licence is for automatic vehicles only, you must make sure the clutch pedal is removed.
Accelerating and braking
Pedals can be power assisted to reduce the effort needed to use them, or they can be made to work with little movement. If only your right leg is affected, an option is to have an automatic car and a flip up left foot accelerator fitted on the left side of the brake pedal; around £300. Either this or the original accelerator should be flipped up when not in use. You will need training to drive this way.
Hand controls
Different types of system can be fitted on an automatic car. They can be powered.
- Combined controls for acceleration and braking. Typically steering column mounted – you push to brake and pull to accelerate, around £350.
- Separate controls for the accelerator and brake give you more choice and combinations that mean less effort.
Parking brake
Bolt on mechanical attachments take the effort out of using the handbrake; most cost from £60. An alternative is an electric brake worked by pushbutton; from around £700.
Secondary controls
Simple attachments make secondary controls such as light, horn and indicators easier to use. More sophisticated infrared and electronic systems can be fitted and adjusted to meet your particular needs. Prices vary widely depending on how complex the adapations are and on your vehicle’s wiring system.
Other ways of driving
Nearly all controls can be altered or adapted to suit you and complete systems built around you if necessary. You will need a thorough assessment at a Mobility Centre and specialist instruction for systems that involve driving in a different way.
Report Contents
About
this guide
Motoring
after brain injury
Choosing
a car
Plan
of action
Products
and techniques
Getting
in and out
Primary
controls
Secondary
controls
Finance
Further
information
Helpful
organisations
