14 replies to this topic

[Jilly]

Has any of you able bodied people out there driven a hand controlled car?

I had a go the other day in my guy's car (he doesnt know yet!! ) and did pretty well!
(Of course I had my foot ready to go on to the accelerator and brake pedals just in case!)
I thought it might be handy to know how. His car has a removable accelerator pedal which I have to put in and out every time I drive which is a bit of a nuisance.

[Joed]

Jilly...

I have a left foot accelerator, and my husband doesn't want to bother with taking it out each time either. He doesn't drive my car all that much, but occasionally will have to move it from the driveway into the garage.

Mechanics have just left it in too, and they don't seem to have a problem with it. It's good that it has a built-in prevention so you can't press on the original accelerator.

If you're using his hand-controls, please be extra cautious, as it takes months for the brain to rewire itself to provide the right reflexes when driving. Before I had the accelerator modification, I just crossed my left foot over to the right side accelerator, and had used that method for many years. 2.5 years post-injury, I still find myself trying to do that occasionally.

Edited by Joed, 03 January 2006 - 07:01 PM.

[hillarymcarter]

I CAN NOT drive a hand controlled car. I almost ran my hubby's truck through the garage.

[rooster1005]

Hello all! My hubby drives a Dodge Ram 4x4 with a UVL lift and hand control. His original gas and brake pedal are still there. I am able to drive as I would any other car or truck. Or when I am feeling spunky I can use his controls. Where we live there is very little traffic so I am not endangering any ones life. His truck is raised off the ground drastically so I tend to treat it with Respect. But I recommend all to try the controls. I think that it gives you a feel for what they deal with EVERYday. Here is a good one, how many of you have tried to drive your spouses power chair in the house and not hit the walls that you tell them not to hit. My hubby says that everyone should try that.

[Jilly]

Hi Joed...
Oh yeah I know all about the brain trying to re-wire itself... after driving his automatic car I hopped into my manual, forgot to use the clutch and graunched it trying to put it into reverse! He was inside laughing!!

Hillary.. I havent tried putting it through the garage door yet but theres still time!

We went to Burger King a few weeks ago and there was no disabled carpark free so we parked in a normal space. Sure enough when we came out there was another car parked next to us...too close for him to get the chair alongside.
He told me then that I would have to back it out using the hand controls which I had never done before....(Gulp!) Luckily for me the owner of the other car came along and moved it!!

[marypure]

i drive art's car a lot...with my feet..
but..when i'm on the back-roads..i'll use the hand controls...like a video game...a little too surreal for me on the main roads or highways..i think i need some practice..
i'm so small, that my knees bang up against the hand controls when i use my feet...so i'm thinking that, since he has a way kick-ass car (subaru vs. my cavalier),...i just gotta keep practicing with the old hand controls..
also, he has a killer old '73 ventura...that's all about my feet right now...just cuz i'm used to it..but soon..i'll be skilled in the hand controls i'm sure...
its not very hard..but takes some getting used to..like driving a stick shift (which is basically all i know..i get confused with automatics sometimes)..

Edited by marypure, 11 January 2006 - 05:21 AM.

[rosalie]

We have manual controls installed in both Avi's car and my car so that we can both drive both of them. I'm too scared to try the hand controls though.... I'd certainly have an accident!

[qsbaby]

My husband has an E150 Ford Van that is like a bus. My first attempt at driving it was to pick him up from the hospital when we were dating...hope he doesn't read this but I hit his mailbox didn't hurt it but it did move the gasket on the back window which I had to fix. That was almost seven years ago now I still hate driving it but I can. I use to use the regular pedals that were there but the brake petal is jacked up high for some reason and I would miss it so I learned to brake with the hand controls. I wish he would get hand controls to drive my Explorer since we use it more now with the cost of gas.

[Jilly]

Ooooooh.... I like these new smilies!!!!

[JustME]

So I was wondering what are the requirements to get a drivers license? Also, I know he can get lifts and things for his truck but how to do we go about doing all this. He doesn't go back into the day program until February which is when I'm assuming he will learn how to use the hand controls... I dunno I we just want to try and get everything in order before the last minute. So he can get in the truck and go if he wants...

[Mary]

Am just wondering which are the best hand control kits out there and especially ones that i can order online? I have looked at the PHCIII and requested them for more information and am still waiting for them to get back to me. What else do you guys recommend?

[icarus_melt76]

no contest.....'SURE GRIP'!!!!!!!

[blckchns]

icarus_melt76, on Jan 6 2007, 11:26 PM, said:

no contest.....'SURE GRIP'!!!!!!!

I 2nd that on the Sure Grips.

Oh, I don't have to worry about my wife driving my car. She can't drive a stick

[LadySmack]

You wonder how we drive with hand controls, my car still has the petals, though I 2 play with them from time to time....

Wonder how they drive without them:

I went out of town once, and we had 2 vehicles. One with hand controls and NO gas, one without hand controls and a FULL tank. He tried to drive it with a small hoe. He hit the van on the other side of the street!!!! Though the damage was a small amount of black rubbed on her NEW van. When he got home he snuck over there and cleaned it off. The woman still does not know!!!! lol

Yes, he has tried it again....men never learn!! Ladies do though...We have both cars with hand controls now....lol

[LuckyinKentucky]

One time I let my ex pull my car into the tire repair shop... she pulled in the front and continued Brake-torquing through the brick wall in the back. My insurance co was'nt happy. ha ha good times...you should have seen the tire guy's face!

Now no-one drives my rides!