Hand controls
 

Just wanted to tell everyone that I'm a fully licensed and competent hand control driver. I really love them. I feel so much safer now. I even drove up Rt 95 from Baltimore to NJ last week by myself. Rt 95 is the major highway on the east coast and can be a real challenge to drive.

Must say that the transition to hand controls was really scary!!!! However after my driving classes, lots of practice in church parking lots, and back roads, I finally feel fairly confident.

My husband was not supportive of these hand controls. He just wanted me to stay home and let him do the driving for the next 20 years. I had to have my independence or else I'd go nuts. However even he agrees that I'm a safer and better driver now. He's slowly coming around to the fact that I cannot be held captive in my house due to this disease. Betty

From what I understand all cars/trucks, etc can be adapted for hand controls.

If you buy a new car most manufacturers will give you $1,000 towards the cost of adaptive equipment.

Here is a link to one of the many sites http://www.mobilityproductsdesign.com/products.asp Betty

That's great, Bafriend....Woo Hoo. get your Kids off the streets..LOL. Next time, come down to Ohio and pick me up. :D

I quit driving by choice. When my DL came up for renewal, I was too darn tired to go in to renew it, so I thought if I can't do that, then it must be time to stop. I still have my Van with scooter lift and it's handy when my DD takes me to appointments or whatever.

You Go Girl.:p

Glad to hear that you are doing well with the hand controls. I know others who use them and they are great when a person has to have them:)

Kitt

Hand controls can be fit to nearly all automatic transmission car/truck/van controls. There are lots of different types depending on your individual needs. Higher tech models include sensitized or low-effort steering and push button controls for windows, horn, turn signals, etc. on one panel.

There are some controls that can be adapted to a standard transmission, but they are expensive and hard to find.

Unfortunately they cannot compensate for problems with reaction time or judgement, which is why my mother had to stop driving due to her MS. We now have an accessible ramp van, but she does not drive. Her power chair drives in and locks down with a EZ Lock into the passenger position.

Prior to having hand controls installed. I was evaluated by a certified driving instructor for cognitive, visual, and the ability to adapt to hand controls. I then had 14 hours of behind the wheel driving in all types of situations with the certified instructor. In Maryland there are many regulations before you can proceed to having the hand controls installed. The auto conversion companies will not convert your car unless they have a recommendation from a certified driving instructor.

Per my instructor, in the old days there was more than one incident of a hand control conversion being completed. The new hand control driver having a severe accident in the converter's parking lot or else where due to not knowing how to drive with the hand controls. Betty