Type 2 Diabetes and driving on hand controls

[ceemage]

I’m beginning to get the first signs of peripheral neuropathy in my feet, and it’s beginning to affect my confidence in driving. My father (who had MS) used to have a motability car with hand controls back in the1980s. I’m nowhere near qualifying for motability yet. But would it possible for me to get my car (an automatic) fitted with hand controls by an appropriate supplier, outside of the motability scheme (i.e. pay for it myself)? Also:

* What sort of cost would we be looking at to supply and fit? High hundreds/low thousands?

* Would it better to buy a car with hand controls built in and have done with it? Is there much of a second-hand market for these?

* How easy would it be in practice for my partner to still drive the car on pedals?

* Since this would be a non-standard addition to the vehicle, I’d obviously declare it to my insurers. How much are they likely to bump my premium by?

* Having passed my test some 25+ years ago, how much “conversion” tuition would I need to adjust to the hand controls? Would I need to find a specialist driving instructor? Pass my test again?

* Anything else I need to consider?

 

[andromache]

Home - Driving Mobility

www.drivingmobility.org.uk

This link comes via the MS part of my world, but it’s more general than that and might have some useful info for you.

 

[Ushthetaff]

I hi I can’t tell you about actual hand controls but I can tell you about adaptations I had to have fitted to my car , I had to have a left foot accelerator fitted to my automatic car about 7 years ago , I paid for it myself I’m sure it was about £300, I had a 2 hour lesson with an instructor who had an adapted vehicle he had every thing on his vehicle hand controls and left foot accelerator , he didn’t have any disability and he drove it without using any of the adaptations , if you get Intouch with the motobility dept I’m sure they will put you in touch with the right people to give you help and advice im sure thats where I got the name of installers in my area and the driving instructors or should I say instructor as there was only 1

 

[bulkbiker]

I’m beginning to get the first signs of peripheral neuropathy in my feet, and it’s beginning to affect my confidence in driving. My father (who had MS) used to have a motability car with hand controls back in the1980s. I’m nowhere near qualifying for motability yet. But would it possible for me to get my car (an automatic) fitted with hand controls by an appropriate supplier, outside of the motability scheme (i.e. pay for it myself)? Also:

* What sort of cost would we be looking at to supply and fit? High hundreds/low thousands?

* Would it better to buy a car with hand controls built in and have done with it? Is there much of a second-hand market for these?

* How easy would it be in practice for my partner to still drive the car on pedals?

* Since this would be a non-standard addition to the vehicle, I’d obviously declare it to my insurers. How much are they likely to bump my premium by?

* Having passed my test some 25+ years ago, how much “conversion” tuition would I need to adjust to the hand controls? Would I need to find a specialist driving instructor? Pass my test again?

* Anything else I need to consider?

Personally I'd look to changing what I ate to get rid of the neuropathy.
A far better solution and one that would probably have multiple health benefits too.

 

[KennyA]

Hi, I too still have a touch of neuropathy in my feet. This has improved out of all recognition since going low-carb (plus getting my BGs back to normal and 25kg weight loss as well). Is the neuropathy currently affecting your driving? Are you assuming it's inevitably going to get worse? I'm just a bit unsure why you've jumped straight to needing hand controls, unless there's something you've not mentioned.

 

[Deleted member 475901]

I'd also recommend low carb to get you blood sugar down - at the very least the neuropathy won't get any worse.

But if you really can't do diet-control then have a look at these people:

Hand Controls for Driving | Independent Living | Independent Living

<p>There is a wide range of hand controls or control adaptations for your vehicle so that you can drive it more easily if you have either upper or lower limb disabilities. Click the links below to go straight down the page to each topic: Primary control adaptations Secondary control adaptations...

www.independentliving.co.uk

Electronic hand controls :: Ergomobility

www.ergomobility.co.uk

Watch push/pull hand controls in action

Adaptations are products that have been designed to help improve either your driving or travelling experience. The Motability Scheme offers over 150 adaptations that may make it easier to drive a standard car. If you’re finding it harder to drive then normal, and your mobility or strength is...

news.motability.co.uk

 

[sue512]

My dad has his converted for a relatively low cost, few hundreds and you could still drive it using foot pedals if you needed to. I doubt that he ever declared it so to my knowledge wouldn’t know about insurance. He probably sent that up anyway by some of the things he did to the car, one of which was reversing out of the garage with door open ripping it off!! We managed to have his driving liscence revoked with a lot of difficulty as they would prefer someone to declare themselves no longer fit to drive in the end, which he didn’t want to do.

 

[ceemage]

This link comes via the MS part of my world, but it’s more general than that and might have some useful info for you.

Thank you! Looks very useful.