If you have recently become a person with a disability or you’re a senior and realize your driving skills have declined over the years, don’t self diagnose or speculate about the type of adaptive equipment you may need. There are four other places to start the process of confident driving independence.
Don’t buy anything yet – not a van or even hand controls – before you consult with these four places!
Start with (1) your physician and discuss your concern/challenge. He/she will diagnose your problem and may recommend (2) an occupational therapist (OT). If the OT cannot help, the next step is (3) a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS).
A CDRS evaluates your skills and decides if you’ll be able to drive with vehicle modifications and adaptive equipment, determine what is best for your unique needs and train you on their use.
During the evaluation you can try an assortment of equipment to enhance your abilities. Some equipment (turning seat, hand controls, etc.) may be more than you need today, but you may need them in six months or a year.
When you feel confident with the equipment, you can train on the road, in traffic.
The cost of a CDRS evaluation and training varies. Get an estimate from the evaluator and submit it to your insurance company and/or your state’s dept. of rehabilitation, who may assist with the cost.
(4) When you decide you’re ready to purchase a van and/or adaptive or accessible equipment, consult one of our experts.
Finally, take the driving test and get your license to drive!
To locate a Driver Rehabilitation Specialist in your area, visit www.aded.net.
Agor Enterprises provides and designs vehicle and in home mobility solutions making the world accessible for people with disabilities. Agor Enterprises is a member of NMEDA and is QAP certified. Agor Enterprises is committed to providing the highest standard of safety and service in the industry. Built on the principal that dedication, service to the customer, and quality are paramount in running a successful business, Agor Enterprises continues to be a leader in customized solutions for the physically challenged. Agor Enterprises has also equipped golf carts, lawn mowers, tractors, and houses with various adaptive devices. We continue to welcome challenges to provide solutions that enable independence.
If you use a wheelchair, you probably know how to get into and out of a car safely. You’ve seen a certified driver rehabilitation specialist and know the rules. But it doesn’t hurt to go over them periodically, and perhaps correct some bad habits we’ve fallen into.
The following guidelines increase safety for wheelchair-seated riders and drivers.
Where to sit
- If possible, transfer into the vehicle’s seat, which is crash designed for greatest protection.
- If you can’t, it is safest to have a WCl9-compliant, transit-ready wheelchair. Non-WCl9-compliant wheelchairs are generally not strong enough to withstand the impact forces that can result in a crash.
- WC19-compliant wheelchairs are designed for use as a motor-vehicle seat and have been crash-tested. Visit this website resource for more info on WC19-compliant wheelchairs.
Seat / safety belt
- Safety belts are the law in almost every state – and that applies to wheelchair users, so position the safety shoulder and lap belt correctly.
- To prevent a wheelchair-seated driver from hitting vehicle structures (windshield, dashboard, etc.) during a crash, it is important to use a safety belt system composed of a shoulder and lap belt that fit snugly across the pelvis, chest and shoulder – not the wheelchair belt.
- Wheelchair belts have not been crash-tested and some are designed to break away from the wheelchair when in a crash. Exceptions are WC19-compliant wheelchairs that come with crash-tested safety belts.
Feeling tied down is a good thing
- Always use a crash-tested securement system to safely anchor the wheelchair using a 4-point tie-down system to keep it stationary – whether you are sitting in the vehicle seat or in the wheelchair.
- An automatic lock-down system will also work to make the manual tie-down system easier. It connects to a bracket installed on the bottom of the wheelchair, allowing independent wheelchair securement.
Agor Enterprises provides and designs vehicle and in home mobility solutions making the world accessible for people with disabilities. Agor Enterprises is a member of NMEDA and is QAP certified. Agor Enterprises is committed to providing the highest standard of safety and service in the industry. Built on the principal that dedication, service to the customer, and quality are paramount in running a successful business, Agor Enterprises continues to be a leader in customized solutions for the physically challenged. Agor Enterprises has also equipped golf carts, lawn mowers, tractors, and houses with various adaptive devices. We continue to welcome challenges to provide solutions that enable independence.