Hand controls and buying a first car
Discussion
Hi all
I guess i'll start with a bit of background just so you know where i'm coming from. I'm 21, and until christmas i was going to Kingston uni in London. Cutting a long story short, when i went home for christmas i was walking along the pavement and got hit by a car, resulting in the docs cutting both my legs off at the knees.
So anyway, my question is; is there anyone out there who drives with hand controls, or does anyone know someone who drives with hand controls? What you/they drive, and what system of hand controls do you/they use?
That brings me on to my next question. Thanks to me never getting around to doing my driving test and being too busy with two wheels i need to get that done, and will be doing it soon. Auto only licence which kinda annoys me but i guess i couldn't use a manual car anyway. So, i will need a first car.
It has to be auto, and thats about the only criteria. It would be nice if it wasn't super low as getting in and out from the wheelchair might be a bit of a problem. Budget maybe around 4k, but thats the very top. That doesn't include insurance, thats just for the car.
Insurance will be a factor, some guideline quotes are:
Mazda MX5 1.6 - £3848
Focus 1.6 zetec - £3142
BMW 530i SE - 5786
Thats not saying the car has hand controls, i would anticipate it going up further. So yeah, i would be looking for something thats less than 5k to insure.
Anyone have any ideas? And i realise i may be stating the obvious by saying this, but if it was an interesting car that would be amazing.
Thanks
Alex
PS. That posts a bit of a mess, apologies. Haven't written on a forum in a long time, forgotten how to make what i want clear!
I guess i'll start with a bit of background just so you know where i'm coming from. I'm 21, and until christmas i was going to Kingston uni in London. Cutting a long story short, when i went home for christmas i was walking along the pavement and got hit by a car, resulting in the docs cutting both my legs off at the knees.
So anyway, my question is; is there anyone out there who drives with hand controls, or does anyone know someone who drives with hand controls? What you/they drive, and what system of hand controls do you/they use?
That brings me on to my next question. Thanks to me never getting around to doing my driving test and being too busy with two wheels i need to get that done, and will be doing it soon. Auto only licence which kinda annoys me but i guess i couldn't use a manual car anyway. So, i will need a first car.
It has to be auto, and thats about the only criteria. It would be nice if it wasn't super low as getting in and out from the wheelchair might be a bit of a problem. Budget maybe around 4k, but thats the very top. That doesn't include insurance, thats just for the car.
Insurance will be a factor, some guideline quotes are:
Mazda MX5 1.6 - £3848
Focus 1.6 zetec - £3142
BMW 530i SE - 5786
Thats not saying the car has hand controls, i would anticipate it going up further. So yeah, i would be looking for something thats less than 5k to insure.
Anyone have any ideas? And i realise i may be stating the obvious by saying this, but if it was an interesting car that would be amazing.
Thanks
Alex
PS. That posts a bit of a mess, apologies. Haven't written on a forum in a long time, forgotten how to make what i want clear!
Sorry to hear about your accident,
Dependant on your situation you may be able to drive a conventional automatic, rather than a hand control converted one.
Also, Do you qualify for higher rate mobility allowance? If you do, the Motability scheme can be something to look at, in exchange for your allowance you could get a hand control car through the scheme, insurance and tax etc covered.
{Spelling edit}
Dependant on your situation you may be able to drive a conventional automatic, rather than a hand control converted one.
Also, Do you qualify for higher rate mobility allowance? If you do, the Motability scheme can be something to look at, in exchange for your allowance you could get a hand control car through the scheme, insurance and tax etc covered.
{Spelling edit}
Edited by 16v stretch on Thursday 28th March 20:38
Raize said:
Bus pass. You're disabled so you can bump people out of the disabled spot, the entire bus has to kneel for you, you get concession prices. Sounds alright to me.
Am I missing a joke or something? He's on PH looking for a fun automatic car due to a life changing accident.I'm sure there's a decent chance we'll think of something.
Hi Alex.
Sorry to hear of your accident, you're obviously a strong minded fella to pick yourself up! Good on you.
I have a couple of customers who use hand controls. I have one that drives a scenic and another in a kangoo. Hardly the most 'street' vehicles, but they do their job.
Do you receive any benefits? If you receive higher rate DLA then you would qualify for Motability. It's something definitely worth looking into if you can. You don't have to worry about insurance etc and they will also help with the costs of adaptations (they can be very expensive)
Good luck, hope you get something sorted
Sorry to hear of your accident, you're obviously a strong minded fella to pick yourself up! Good on you.
I have a couple of customers who use hand controls. I have one that drives a scenic and another in a kangoo. Hardly the most 'street' vehicles, but they do their job.
Do you receive any benefits? If you receive higher rate DLA then you would qualify for Motability. It's something definitely worth looking into if you can. You don't have to worry about insurance etc and they will also help with the costs of adaptations (they can be very expensive)
Good luck, hope you get something sorted
Sorry to hear about your legs, I can't imagine what that must be like to get used to!
I can't offer any advice, I have a question however: how are you getting around at the moment? I'm guessing you'd need a car big enough to cart a wheelchair about easily? There was a guy near where I used to live, he drove a Toyota HDJ80 with hand controls, it looked easy enough for him to get in and out of as it had big handles on the pillars and dashboard...
I can't offer any advice, I have a question however: how are you getting around at the moment? I'm guessing you'd need a car big enough to cart a wheelchair about easily? There was a guy near where I used to live, he drove a Toyota HDJ80 with hand controls, it looked easy enough for him to get in and out of as it had big handles on the pillars and dashboard...
Ok, so on the topic of benefits and motability the short answer is i just don't know. I'm in Ireland at the moment living with my folks again, and i'll stay here until September when i hope to be back in the UK for uni(i hate Ireland and can't wait to get out. Again.). So for the moment i'm going to be looking at buying a car with my own money.
I'be been told about most other disabled drivers who use hand controls and how they have these sensible cars, but that really doesn't interest me. The way i look at it there simply has to be something interesting out there.
Thanks for the strong minded comment butter face, its appreciated. But i still reckon i'm just a regular dude that has REALLY bad luck
I'be been told about most other disabled drivers who use hand controls and how they have these sensible cars, but that really doesn't interest me. The way i look at it there simply has to be something interesting out there.
Thanks for the strong minded comment butter face, its appreciated. But i still reckon i'm just a regular dude that has REALLY bad luck
Try and track down Aaron Morgan, his website is http://www.aaronmorganracing.com/
Aaron races in PBMW in a car with hand controls. He's a 19 year old wheelchair user following a motorcross spinal injury.
He works for these folks http://www.adaptedvehiclehire.com/guest-blog-aaron...
Aaron races in PBMW in a car with hand controls. He's a 19 year old wheelchair user following a motorcross spinal injury.
He works for these folks http://www.adaptedvehiclehire.com/guest-blog-aaron...
A quick google and nosy through some other forums suggests that people often buy a car first and then get the controls fitted, something which you probably already know. This website http://www.alfredbekker.co.uk/hand-controls/ seems to provide loads of different applications and seems to be able to convert manual cars also.
So perhaps your choice of car is a lot broader than you think and then to be honest it just comes down to what you actually need it for I guess. (commuting, hooning, whatever...)
I'd look at Classic Minis (Manual and Auto available) but perhaps far too low, although you have suggested an MX5 which can't be much higher.
On classic insurance not too expensive and still very interesting (IMHO).
Other suggestions (some boring ones):
Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 107
Citroen Saxo (VTR/VTS)
Peugeot 106 (Gti/Rallye)
VW Polo
VW Lupo
Renault Clio 172/182/197/200
Renault Twingo 133
So perhaps your choice of car is a lot broader than you think and then to be honest it just comes down to what you actually need it for I guess. (commuting, hooning, whatever...)
I'd look at Classic Minis (Manual and Auto available) but perhaps far too low, although you have suggested an MX5 which can't be much higher.
On classic insurance not too expensive and still very interesting (IMHO).
Other suggestions (some boring ones):
Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 107
Citroen Saxo (VTR/VTS)
Peugeot 106 (Gti/Rallye)
VW Polo
VW Lupo
Renault Clio 172/182/197/200
Renault Twingo 133
Motability may well be a good place to start. AIUI the lease deals are really pretty damn good, and although they only fund you for a basic adapted car, you are allowed to "top up" into something a bit more tasty if you like. They've got a lot of experience with adapting cars so they should be able to give you a pretty good idea of what will work and what won't too, which will be useful if you want to buy something of your own.
The biggest bonus with Motability is that insurance is covered as part of the scheme.
The biggest bonus with Motability is that insurance is covered as part of the scheme.
Evening Vesparider..
One of my wheelchair pals ragss the ass off his 3 dr M3 on full hand controls. It goes like fook ,, And his handbuilt convertible Cobra kit car with a mahsoooove engine in will be ready soon.. He slings the wheelchair in the back no mither..
He did have a Zafira on motability to fit his wheelchair in a couple of years ago, he soon fooooked it off.
The motoring world is still doable no problem...
Another pal with very little functionality/mobility just bobs about in his old Merc 190 to his boat if he's not on the vomit comet or crossing siberia on the old express.. Crack on enjoy life
One of my wheelchair pals ragss the ass off his 3 dr M3 on full hand controls. It goes like fook
,, And his handbuilt convertible Cobra kit car with a mahsoooove engine in will be ready soon.. He slings the wheelchair in the back no mither..He did have a Zafira on motability to fit his wheelchair in a couple of years ago, he soon fooooked it off
.The motoring world is still doable no problem...
Another pal with very little functionality/mobility just bobs about in his old Merc 190 to his boat if he's not on the vomit comet or crossing siberia on the old express.. Crack on enjoy life
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