.png)
What Adaptations Can You Have On A Motability Car
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- Adaptations, Available, Driving
- Posted date:
- 24-01-2022
Find out more about what adaptations can you have on a Motability car. We look at ways to improve the driving experience for people with physical difficulties.
What Types Of Car Adaptations Are Available?
Car adaptations are more versatile than ever before, giving drivers with any disability or severe injury the chance to drive with freedom and peace of mind. Many adaptations are available, all designed for your car to help make the experience easier.
Of course, many leading car models come with pre-installed features, with key fobs and start buttons or voice activation.
The Motability Scheme has been established to ensure that those that require additional support receive it. The Motability Scheme offers around 500 vehicle adaptations, all with no extra advance payment.
The necessary parts are fitted at the start of your lease and helps to make driving your car as convenient as possible. You may be wondering how much do adaptations cost for your vehicle, as this can be a daunting factor. If you keep reading this article, we will explain each type, which can lead you to make your decision.
The most common car adaptations fall into three categories, Driving Adaptations, Access Adaptations and Stowage Solutions. We will explain each one in this article and how they can benefit you while driving.
Driving Adaptations
These can allow a person to drive their car where it may be impossible otherwise and change a wide variety of aspects. The range of devices available when looking at driving adaptations can alter speed control, signalling, driving comfort, safety and the overall experience.
It's important that you choose the right adaptations for your lifestyle and requirements, and sometimes the control system can be adjusted and changed specifically for your disabilities. Driving adaptations are typically fitted to your car around the hand controls, pedal transformations and remote controls.
Some of the main driving adaptations available to you are:
Hand Controls
If you find yourself struggling with accessing the pedals or moving your legs, then installing a push-pull device can allow you to control the car's speed with your hands.
This can be positioned beside the wheel, allowing you to pull and push the lever to accelerate and brake.
Ensure that your car model can support this form of adaptation, and you have options between air compression technology or electrics.
Electronic Accelerators
A variation of the push-pull device, installing an electronic accelerator within your vehicle can benefit those with difficulty with leg mobility.
Each model comes equipped with a hand-operated brake, and you will notice a significant improvement in your overall control of the vehicle.
What Adaptations Are Available To You?
Trigger Accelerator
Trigger Accelerator works by pulling with your finger to accelerate and pushing it away to brake. This means that your overall car mobility and speed control have been simplified and controlled by moving one finger.
Over Ring Accelerator
Over Ring Accelerator improves mobility one step further by installing it on the front of the steering wheel. The driver pushes this towards the wheel to accelerate.
Under Ring Accelerator
Under Ring Accelerator works the same way but is positioned behind the steering wheel, allowing customisation options for the driver. This is pulled towards the wheel to accelerate.
Ghost Ring Accelerator
Ghost Ring Accelerator is also positioned behind the steering wheel but works with the driver moving their fingers from side to side, giving you greater speed control.
Left Foot Accelerators
Drivers with limited mobility in their right legs can experience greater control over their vehicle with a fitted left foot accelerator. With the original placement of the accelerator, it can be challenging to reach speeds and can cause pain and distress for the driver.
The two main left foot accelerator options you have available are floor-mounted accelerators and twin-flip accelerators.
Floor-Mounted Accelerators allows greater control as the adaptation is installed to the left of the brake. This means your leg isn't travelling as far, and a pedal guard guards the original accelerator to ensure you cannot use it accidentally. This is important as any nominated drivers can still use the original controls if they need to drive your car.
Twin-Flip Accelerators works in a very similar way, allowing acceleration control via your left foot. This is fitted to the left of the brake pedal, with the original being folded away. This can still be used as usual for any nominated drivers, but the options allow you to see which works better as the primary driver.
Car Boot Hoist
Most commonly, a storage system will come in the form of a car boot hoist. Your wheelchair or scooter will be safely secured in the boot using tie-downs and allow easier access and transport of the unit.
Some adaptations are not suitable for every car model, so you should evaluate the size of your car and the wheelchair that needs transporting. A 4-way hoist is the larger version, allowing transport of a scooter or bigger wheelchair.
The wheelchair or scooter can be parked outside the boot and will be moved up and into the boot with the push of a button.
You may need to guide it in and then tie it down, but this can prove a lot easier than having to lift it yourself.
Remote Control Devices
Sometimes the simplest of car controls can be challenging to operate, which is why a remote control device can alleviate some of that stress.
Whether it's the windscreen wipers, indicators, headlights or air conditioning, these can all be controlled by one single unit mounted to the steering wheel.
In some cases, even the car's steering and other basic functions can be controlled via this unit, meaning that most of the vehicle is operatable with one hand.
Pedal Modifications
If you feel that hand modifications and acceleration controls would be too different and challenging for you, there is every option to alter the pedals themselves.
For example, you can extend them, allowing you to reach them with more ease and comfort while driving.
Stowage Systems
Stowage systems provide new methods to lift a wheelchair or scooter into the vehicle.
These systems are designed to be easier to use and operate with a remote button, guiding the wheelchair into the car with ease.
Steering Aids
A large portion of the steering aids available to you can be attached and removed with ease, giving drivers who have difficulty reaching or turning the wheel an alternative to driving.
If you have the above remote control device connected, it's commonplace for you to have a steering ball installed, allowing you to steer with one hand and the control adjust everything else.
Rooftop Stowage
In scenarios where storing your wheelchair in your boot isn't a viable option, a car rooftop stowage unit can save a lot of hassle.
You have the option of installing this rooftop unit on either the driver's side or the passenger side of the car, leaving the boot free for other items.
However, this typically only works for manual or folded wheelchairs, as they can be compacted in the box.
An electric hoist will help you move the wheelchair from the floor to the rooftop stowage box and then back again.
Lightweight Manual Wheelchair
Many people are finding benefits of leasing a lightweight manual wheelchair alongside their Motability Scheme car. These types of wheelchairs can be incredibly great value for money and can improve your general mobility in daily life, so they are a worthwhile investment.
Of course, you can purchase self-propelled and assistant-propelled models depending on your lifestyle and extremity of disability.
Accessibility Adaptations
However, this isn't where the options stop, as you can further customise your car as a wheelchair user to best utilise the space.
Transfer Plates
When transferring from your wheelchair to the car, you can experience discomfort, and some vehicle designs are the best for this.
A transfer plate allows a smooth surface between the wheelchair and car, providing a much easier transition.
The use of a transfer plate does require you to use your upper body strength, so be wary of that.
This is fitted to the side of the car seat and then is folded away when you're settled.
Swivel Seats
This is another permanent installation in your car, which allows you to move in and out with more ease.
This seat lowers and tips you as required so you can transfer to your wheelchair or scooter without having to climb out of a traditional car seat.
You can also get modifications for your wheelchair and allow the base of the chair to connect to the car seat, bringing both components together.
There is a wealth of expert advice to help guide you with your decision, and adaptations are a range of new options for your lifestyle.
Electric Person Hoist
An electric person hoist will lift you where you cannot physically lift yourself into the car. This is permanently mounted into your vehicle, providing a solid and sturdy frame to support your body weight. A sling is put into position and then hooked onto the hoist, which raises you into the position needed.
This can be more comfortable for some, as you are sitting in the intended driving seat and not the wheelchair, which on longer journeys may become uncomfortable.
These adaptations have no extra cost when fitted when under the Mobility Scheme, and they can drastically improve your lifestyle.
Motability Operations Limited provide cars, scooters, wheelchairs and more, so if you're interested, please reach out to us, and we can adapt your motor for your disability.
We have a huge range of adaptations available and would love to discuss this with you.