Car adaptations can be a brilliant way to make getting on the road more accessible for drivers with disabilities. They come in all shapes and sizes, from steering aids to boot hoists and everything in between.
Find out what kinds of vehicle modifications are available to help you here.
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Adaptations to help you control and drive the vehicle
Accessories to help you get in and out of the vehicle
Adaptations to help get your wheelchair or scooter in and out of the vehicle
Adaptations to help you control and drive the vehicle
Some of the most common adaptations are there to help drivers with disabilities control and drive their cars more easily. These are particularly useful for amputees, those with lower or upper body impairments, medical conditions such as one-sided muscle weakness (hemiparesis) or limited mobility.
Hand controls
Hand controls are designed for drivers who cannot operate the foot pedals. They essentially allow you to accelerate and brake with your hands and are usually only available on an automatic car.
Hand controls are often installed on the right hand side of the steering wheel, but they can be added to the left if this is your dominant hand.
They tend to have a push/pull construction, meaning you can pull the lever to accelerate and push to brake, but if your hand grip is impaired or you find that holding your arms in the same position for long periods tiring, other options are available, such as radial hand controls (push back to brake and push down to accelerate) or floor-mounted push/pull hand controls (installed close to your left thigh).
So how are they installed? Essentially, they’re attached to the pedals so they provide the same level of control you’d have if you were to use the foot pedals. This also means that if you share your car with someone else, the foot pedals are still operational.
Many drivers don’t purchase hand controls alone; they’re often paired with steering wheel aids and a hinged accelerator pedal, which we explore in further detail below.
Electronic hand controls
Hand controls also come in an electronic variation for drivers who have disabilities that limit both their upper and lower mobility.
There are quite a few different options for electronic hand controls, including:
- Over ring accelerators
- Under ring accelerators
- Radial hand controls
- Trigger hand controls
- Pull accelerators
As their names suggest, the over and under ring options sit under or over your steering wheel and can be used to accelerate. The brake is usually a separate push lever that’s attached to the right-hand side of your steering wheel for ease of access.
While the other options are similar to push/pull hand controls, because of their electronic design, they’re much more sensitive, so are better suited to those with limited upper-body mobility.
Steering wheel aids
Steering wheel aids are designed for people with limited arm or shoulder strength. Alternatively, if you use hand controls for accelerating and braking, a steering wheel aid can also help ensure you maintain full control of the steering wheel while your right hand operates the push/pull lever.
There are several different variations: the ball grip (most commonly used), steering peg, glove and peg (for those with limited grip strength) and tetra grip (a more common alternative for those with limited grip strength).
Providing a fixed aid for people to grip makes steering more comfortable and safe, especially if you’re using your other hand to control accelerating and braking.
Most steering wheel aids can easily be attached and removed from your vehicle, allowing other drivers to use your car when needed.
Lightened power steering
Whilst steering wheel aids are a great addition for those with limited upper-body strength, they aren’t perfect. Many find that steering becomes tiring even with the adaptation. In such cases, you might find that lightening the power steering helps make navigation easier. Such aids essentially make the wheel less heavy and a lot easier to turn.
You can usually adapt this to your needs, so if you need very light power steering to comfortably drive, this is an option.
Remote control devices
Activating the indicators, headlights, and windscreen wipers can be challenging if you only have full control of one hand. In such cases, remote control devices can be attached to your steering wheel so you can control all of these in one place. They’re often paired with a steering wheel aid and attached right next to it for easier control.
The devices have several buttons you can use to control anything you would typically activate with the stalks just behind the steering wheel.
Hinged accelerator pedal
Hinged accelerator pedals are often used in conjunction with hand controls. As the name suggests, it puts the pedal on a hinge so it can be moved out of the way when you’re using hand controls.
This provides more legroom for added comfort and helps ensure you don’t use the foot pedals by mistake. If your disability makes you move involuntarily or you’re just starting to use hand controls and feel like you might accidentally reach for the foot pedal instead, this can prevent any unwanted stress.
You can pair this with a brake pedal guard to prevent yourself from accidentally using the brake too.
When someone else needs to drive your vehicle, the accelerator pedal can be returned to its normal position.
If you have limited use of your right foot, this car adaptation can come in handy. It adds an accelerator pedal to the left of the brake so both can be operated with your left leg.
The original accelerator pedal remains in place, so adding a hinge to it is a good option so you don’t accidentally activate it. This will of course allow other drivers to switch to the right accelerator when they’re using the car.
Pedal extensions
If you’re a shorter driver or struggle to reach the pedals comfortably, pedal extensions are often a lot safer than simply moving the driving seat closer to the steering wheel. This is because airbags can cause injuries if you’re sitting too close to them.
Extensions are usually attached to the original pedals and can be removed when required. They’re often made to measure so you’re able to get just the right height.
If the pedals need to be raised significantly, consider pairing this with a false floor, which will allow you to rest your legs comfortably while driving.
Easy-release handbrakes
Handbrakes can be difficult to release even for those who are fairly dexterous, but they can be almost impossible for people with arthritis or weakness in the fingers, thumb or hand. Easy-release handbrakes depress the release button so you don’t have to; all you need to do is pull or push the handbrake to use it.
Electric handbrakes
If an easy-release handbrake is still too difficult for you to use, you can opt for an electric handbrake instead. This disables the traditional handbrake entirely and allows you to activate it with a single push of a button.
Easy-release gear sticks
This works in much the same way as an easy-release handbrake; it makes shifting gears in a manual car a lot easier on the hands and joints.
Electronic gear selector
If you own an automatic car and have difficulty using the gear stick, an electronic gear selector will allow you to change gears at the push of a button.
Push-button ignition switch
If you find turning the key in the ignition challenging, you can get a push-button ignition switch instead. When you want to turn your car on, you just press the button.
Accessories to help you get in and out of the vehicle
There are plenty of options if you need extra help getting into and out of your vehicle.
Swivel seats
If you struggle to get in and out of your car without help, swivel seats could be a good option. These come in both manual or electronic variants, and lowering swivel seats are also available. These both swivel and lower the car seat so you can more easily stand up or get into your wheelchair from your vehicle.
Transfer boards
A transfer board or plate can help you get in and out of your vehicle more easily, especially if you struggle to get out because the door sill impedes your safe movement. Depending on who usually drives the car, it can be used on either the driver’s seat or the passenger’s side.
Wheelchair hoists
If you’re wheelchair-bound, you can use a hoist to get out of the wheelchair and into the car seat. These are usually used by passengers with very limited mobility and are an alternative to wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs).
Grab handles
When it comes to mobility in the home, grab handles make all the difference, and the same can be said for the car. These can be placed so you can more easily manoeuvre in and out of the vehicle.
Getting your wheelchair or scooter into and out of the car
If you use a wheelchair or scooter, getting them in and out of your vehicle often requires another set of hands. Thankfully, there are a number of accessories and adaptations you can get to make this a one-person job.
Boot hoists
Boot hoists make it easy to get your wheelchair or mobility scooter into your vehicle; all you need to do is attach the hoist to your mobility aid, push a button on a remote control, and the rest is done for you.
Ramps
Alternatively, if you travel with a carer, the more affordable solution is a wheelchair or scooter ramp. These usually have to be manually set down against the vehicle’s back doors and stored in the car when not in use, so they do require someone who is non-disabled to set up. They are best used with electric mobility aids.
Wheelchair lift
An option that’s similar to the ramp but allows you to operate it yourself is a wheelchair lift. All you need to do is drive onto the lift, then get out of the wheelchair and press a button on a remote. The lift will then move your wheelchair into the back of your car.
How much are car adaptations?
The costs of installing adaptations in your car vary significantly depending on what kind of modifications you need and whether the adaptations will have to be custom made. The most significant thing that will affect the cost of your car adaptations is whether you’re eligible for Motability as they offer some for free.
It’s usually a good idea to check your eligibility before forking out the money yourself.
Car insurance for drivers with disabilities
If you’re in need of car insurance, especially one that takes into account car adaptations, you’ll be pleased to know we can help. As a specialist insurance broker, we’re able to provide car insurance to drivers with disabilities, including those with wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Plus, all your car adaptations can be covered on a new-for-old basis, and we can cover your mobility scooter too. For our best rates, call us on 0800 369 8590 or book a callback at a time that suits you.
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