If you have a disability which affects your limbs or lower body, it can feel like a lot of your freedom has been taken away from you. You will need to declare to the DVLA that you have a disability so they can understand how it may affect your ability to drive safely.
However, many mobility schemes are funded to make adaptations to vehicles. This means you can drive more easily, giving you your freedom to get back out on the open road.
How You Can Drive With A Leg Disability
Having a disability doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be able to drive normally.
Driving with a leg disability can prove difficult, especially if you have a standard transmission. One of the first things that any mobility scheme will recommend is to switch to an automatic transmission. This eliminates the need for a clutch pedal for control.
For those that might struggle to reach the pedals, there are also options to add a false floor to the car and elongate the pedals for easier accessibility.
Driving With A Left Leg Disability
Having a left leg disability often doesn’t hinder the process of driving too much. Using a car with an automatic transmission is the best solution. It doesn’t require the use of the left leg to work a clutch. This means that someone with a left leg disability is able to experience a normal driving method.
Driving With A Right Leg Disability
People with a disability that affects their right leg may struggle to drive a traditional car, or even one with an automatic transmission. This is because the accelerator and brake pads are designed to be used by the right foot.
However, there are adaptations that can be made to increase the comfort for people with right leg disabilities.
- A twin flip left foot accelerator can be installed. This moves the accelerator pedal to the left-hand side of the footwell, meaning it can be operated by the left foot instead.
- The flip action means that this pedal can also be flipped out of sight, bringing down the traditional accelerator pedal on the right. This makes it much easier for people who share a car. It can be used by people with right and left leg disabilities, or just by anyone who is fully abled.
- An electronic accelerator is a slightly more expensive option but could be a solution if you struggle with reduced mobility in both legs. This allows for a control to be placed on the steering wheel which controls your speed based on how much pressure you put on with your hand.
- Hand controls give you the ability to control the acceleration and braking power from the steering wheel. This removes any need for foot control. Hand control brakes are often installed as a push-pull lever, giving you the ability to control how hard you brake based on pushing the lever away from you. In these cases, the hand controls are usually installed as an additional extra, meaning the normal pedals can be used by anyone else wanting to drive your car.
If you have a leg disability, there are plenty of options out there to adapt your car so that you can drive just like anyone else. Speaking to a car conversion specialist can help you to determine exactly what you need to make your life on the road easier and more enjoyable. If you would like to find out more about how we can help you get back behind the wheel, give our team a call today on 01525 850588 or head over to our contact page for more details.
Recently had my fourth vehicle adapted by Paul At Pb Conversions.always does a first class job and with first class service & always easy to deal with. Thanks for the great service Paul from you and your crew over the years.
Kiran was very helpful today explaining some of the issues I had with my hoist, and how to avoid them from happening again.
Dealt with the adaptations for my son's new motability vehicle - very friendly, efficient and helpful. Really pleased.
Very helpful and knowledgeable engineer, fast and efficient service
Thank you so much for all your advice, help and very professional job on adapting our car. Without your advice I would never have known to apply for a grant. You were excellent, thank again.
Due to my husband's condition we need a car with adaptions, we were advised by his paraplegic group to visit and this place is the best. Felt so relaxed talking about what we needed, all the staff were so friendly and so well informed, going above and beyond, especially Paul Berridge. I fully recommend this business. Honest and reliable. Thank you.
Staff are super super friendly, helpful, extremely informative and really nothing Paul & Co can’t do to any vehicle. PERFECTION is their middle name! Thank you so much for your outstanding service to me over the years and I look forward to using your company all my driving life.
Excellent work done on our car and very professional company. Great customer service and prompt response to emails.
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If you are a disabled driver, or know a disabled driver in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire or Northamptonshire, please contact PB Conversions for a free no obligation quote to assess what products would benefit you.