Driving with hand controls: adaptation, training, licence

Common adaptations

• Hand controls for accelerator and brake where the legs cannot be used
• Left hand accelerator pedal where the right leg cannot bear load
• Accelerator ring on the steering wheel, often combined with a steering knob
• Steering knob for one handed steering
• Pedal guard so the unused pedal cannot be pressed by accident

The process

1. Assessment of fitness to drive, usually by a traffic medicine specialist.
2. Advice on which adaptation suits your situation.
3. Lessons in an adapted vehicle.
4. An assessment drive or a test, depending on your starting point.
5. The condition is entered in your licence.

The road traffic office confirms which steps apply in your case. I am happy to tell you who to contact for what.

Why trying beats reading

Whether an accelerator ring or classic hand controls suit you better becomes clear after twenty minutes of driving, not twenty pages of brochure. My adapted Honda lets you compare several options before you invest in converting a car.

Training

A session lasts 90 minutes. We start with the controls stationary, then quiet roads, later city traffic and the motorway.

Get in touch before you have a vehicle converted.