Motoring with multiple sclerosis · 3 Try out before buying Try any car you are considering. Try...

Motoring with multiple sclerosis

2016

2

This Rica booklet outlines some of thekey things to think about when choosingor adapting a vehicle for someone whohas multiple sclerosis (MS).

This information comes fromconsultation with people with multiplesclerosis and other experts. Product andprice information comes from Rica’smarket research – use it as a guide onlyand shop around for the best price.

More detailed guidance on choosingand using a car can be found in the Ricaguides shown here. Call us to requestfree copies or read them on our website:020 7427 2460www.rica.org.uk

The website also has the Car searchpage that lets you search for cars by theirmeasurements and will help you find acar to suit you.

Mobility address listAddresses of all adaptation

suppliers and car convertersin the UK and details of the

services they offer

Choosing a carDetails of features that

may help you and ways of adapting a car

Car controls Information on adaptedcontrols for driving, the

different types and how to get them

Getting a wheelchair into a carInformation on equipmentto help you stow or carry awheelchair

Getting in and out of a car

Techniques that may helpand details of equipment

that is available

Wheelchair accessible vehiclesInformation on convertedvehicles to carry you inyour wheelchair

Family carsIssues affecting families of

disabled children andinformation about cars and

standard and specialistequipment

Motoring withmultiple sclerosisContentsDriving with MS 3Choosing a car 4Plan of action 5Products and techniques 6Finance 9Further information 10

ricability

A guide for older and disabled people

Choosing a car

2011

R

� � � � � ��


Getting awheelchair into acar

2013

� � � � ��

ricability

2011

I


Wheelchair accessible vehicles

� � � � ��

Mobilityaddress list

2013

3

Driving with MS

Multiple sclerosis is unpredictable andcan affect people in many ways. Somesymptoms are common but people willexperience different symptoms. Inaddition, MS symptoms themselves canvary from being mild to severe, and theymay be temporary or permanent.

Some common MS symptoms thatmay affect driving include the following: l sensory (touch) problems such as

numbness or tingling hands and feetl visual problems such as blurred or

double vision, or a temporary loss ofsight caused by optic neuritis(inflammation of the optic nerve)l fatigue – an overwhelming sense of

tiredness making physical or mentalactivity difficultl loss of muscle strength and dexterityl problems with walking, balance and

co-ordinationlmuscle stiffness and spasms –

tightening or rigidity in particularmuscle groups (known as spasticity)l difficulty with memory and thinking.

You have to tell the Driver and VehicleLicensing Agency (DVLA) that you havebeen diagnosed with MS. They will assess your fitness to drive using theinformation you provide and may askyou to have a medical examination or adriving assessment.

You may be:l given a full licencel given a medical review licence, valid

for one, two or three yearsl given a licence that specifies which

adaptations you need to usel in extreme cases, told to stop driving.

A small loss of muscle control will notnecessarily affect your ability to drive acar but people are required to showsufficient dexterity to operate the carcontrols safely. See page 6 for the widerange of adaptations available that canhelp with some of these. If you needadaptations to drive, then these will bespecified on your licence. You are notallowed to drive a car without them.

Memory and concentration, spatialawareness of the position of things andclear mental processing of informationare also important to drivers. Anassessment at a Mobility Centre (seeForum of Mobility Centres page 11) canhelp identify and address any problems.

You also need to tell your insurancecompany about your condition andabout any adaptations you have.

For further information, go towww.gov.uk/dvla or get the leaflet Whatyou need to know about driving licences(D100) from a post office. For moreinformation on MS, contact the MSSociety (see page 11).

Remember that many people with MScarry on driving confidently and safely for many years.

n Try out a car and anyadaptations on one of yourworst days, not when you’refeeling well.n Be prepared to compromisebut don’t omit your ‘musthave’ features.nGet advice from anindependent Mobility Centre.

Advice from drivers with MS

MOTORING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

4

Choosing a car

You may well be able to continue drivingan unadapted car for some time,particularly if it has automatictransmission and power steering. If yourcondition is progressive, think ahead towhat you may need in the future.

Other helpful features such as height-adjustable seats and steering are found ona wide range of cars too.The less a car has to be modified, the higher its resale value.

If you are going to get a standard car,use the list below to tick the features youmight find useful.

GETTING IN AND OUTIf your legs are weak or painful, you mayneed a large door opening so you can getin and out without having to bend themtoo much.

If you have weakness in your arms andfind reaching difficult, smaller doors areeasier. Two and three door cars generallyhave wider doorways than four and fivedoor ones.

Also look for:l no sills or low, narrow sillsl conveniently placed handholdsl seat height that best suits you l seats which go up and down,

forwards and back – useful if youneed space to get your legs in butsit closer to the wheel for driving.

LOCKING AND IGNITION l remote and central lockingl keyless entry systeml push button startl windows that close automatically

when the car is locked.

PRIMARY CONTROLSFor steering, braking and accelerating.Look for:l automatic transmission – this can

make driving less stressful and makethe controls easier to adapt

l power assisted steering – on somecars the effort needed can belightened by the dealership or byspecialist converters

l cruise control to maintain aconstant speed

l handbrakes can be stiff if you have aweak hand and wrist – check thatyou can put it on and off

l some cars have electronic, pushbutton handbrakes and you canhave one fitted to many others.

SECONDARY CONTROLSFor things like the horn, lights andindicators. Try to find a model wherethese are in the best position for you.

Also look for:l electric windows l electric and heated door mirrorsl heated windscreenl automatic wipers and lightsl easy controls for audio equipment,

air conditioning etc – some carshave voice activated controls

l parking sensor – sounds if you arenear an obstacle

l reversing camera.

BOOTLook for:l no sill or low silll powered boot opening/closingl internal boot releasel space for your wheelchair if you

have one.

5

Plan of action

1 Ask some basic questions Think about what you may need in thefuture as well as about what suits younow. Prepare to compromise as you maynot find everything in one car.How will you get in and out? Do youneed wide or high doors, or specialistequipment to help? See Products andtechniques (page 6).Will you be comfortable in the seat?And will you be able to reach thecontrols? Will you need specialist controls?Thereis a big range – from simple gadgets tomore complex controls (see pages 6-8).What equipment will you carry? Thinkabout everyday and occasional use.Do you use a wheelchair?Will you loadit into the boot or travel sitting in it? Will you need extra space for specialist equipment?

2 Collect informationStart with motoring magazines, theinternet and manufacturers’ brochuresas well as the monthly magazinepublished by Disabled Motoring UK (seepage 10). www.youreable.com has anonline discussion forum covering topics

including benefits and motoring.

3 Try out before buying Try any car you are considering. Trygetting in and out several times. If youalready use any adaptations, ask if youcan try the car with them fitted.

If you need more specialist help, youcan try out adapted cars at adaptationcompanies. They will also tell you if theadaptations can be fitted to your chosencar. You could also visit one of these:

Mobility Centres (see page 11) for adriving assessment and to find out whatequipment may suit you.

Mobility Roadshow and MotabilityOne Big Day (see page 11) to see and tryout vehicles and adaptations.

4 Get plenty of practiceIf you are getting adapted drivingcontrols, it is advisable to have lessonswith a specialist instructor. This isessential if you are getting a left footaccelerator (see page 7).

Mobility Centres (see page 11) canhelp you find an instructor locally. Theywill give you lessons in their ownadapted car, or in some cases in yourown car.

Make sure that you are not drivingwith adaptations for the first time whenyou collect the car.


n use Rica’s online search toolof car measurements atwww.rica.org.uk/car-searchn search for cars with eg widedoors, low sills or lots ofheadroom or look for a bootto fit your wheelchair

Find a car

n To try out a range of differentcars all in the same place, visita secondhand car supermarket.

Tip

6

Products andtechniques

If you lose sensation, strength or controlin your arms or legs, consider theadaptations available. The earlier youconvert to new controls, the moreconfidently you are likely to drive. Seethe following pages and our otherguides. You can also get individual advicefrom a Mobility Centre (see page 11).

GETTING IN AND OUTThe best way to get in is to sit first thenturn and bring your legs in, doing thereverse to get out.

You can have the door hingesmodified or the seat runners extended togive you more space to get in and out.You can convert your existing seat –make it higher or height adjustable, oradd a swivelling mechanism – or have a

specialist replacement seat fitted. Costsstart at about £1,250 from adaptationfirms. See our guide Getting in and out ofa car for more information.

Wheelchair usersIf you have a manual wheelchair, youmay be able to lift it into the back of thecar and walk the few steps to the seat.However, if you can’t, there is a range ofdevices and techniques for getting youand the wheelchair into your car. See ourguides Getting in and out of a car andGetting a wheelchair into a car for moreinformation.

PRIMARY CONTROLSSteeringIf you steer one handed, you will need agrip fitted to the steering wheel – asteering ball or spinner – and powerassisted steering.

Spinners come in several shapes tosuit different types of grip and most costbetween £15 and £110.

Changing gearsAutomatic transmission means fewergear changes and also helps with pullingaway, if you have hill start assist.

Usually automatics have amechanical gear selector, which youoperate with your left hand. If youcannot do this, you can have an

Steering wheel grips from Alfred Bekker

n Pump Pal holds petrol pumpsopen – useful if you have weakgrip or can only use one hand(£9.99 fromwww.pumppal.co.uk).nHandybar fits quickly into thedoor catch to give you a firmhandhold for getting in and out(£30 from adaptation firms,motoring suppliers and generalaids suppliers).nCar Caddie is a strap thatattaches to the top of the doorto give you a firm handle as youstand up or sit down (around£20 from motoring suppliersand general aids suppliers).

Gadgets

7

electronic system fitted, but these areexpensive and may not be appropriate.Take advice from a Mobility Centrebefore investing in these systems.

Some manual cars have automatedgear systems which work without using aclutch pedal. You move a lever or usepush buttons or paddles on the steeringwheel to select a gear.

If you can operate the gear stick, butnot the clutch pedal, you can get anadapted clutch that you operate with thesame hand you use to change gear (from£2,145). See our Car controls guide.

If you drive an adapted manual car butyour driving licence is for automaticvehicles only, you must make sure theclutch pedal is removed.

Accelerating and brakingIf the strength or control of your legs ispoor, you can have more brakeassistance added to reduce the effortrequired.

If one of your legs is affected, you maybe able to drive an unmodifiedautomatic car. If it is your right leg, oneoption is to have a flip up left footaccelerator fitted on the left side of thebrake pedal, for around £400-500.

Hand controlsIf you cannot use foot pedals at all ordon’t want to get a left foot accelerator,different types of hand control systemcan be fitted on an automatic car. Theseare described on the following pages.

The pedals cannot be removed butyou can fit a guard to stop your feet fromgetting caught in them (from £100).

Electronic gear selector, from Adaptacar

Controls on steering wheel


Gear stick mounted Duck clutch, from ELAP

n Left foot accelerators take alot of getting used to,especially if you are used todriving an unadapted manualcar. There have been a numberof accidents involving driverswho aren’t used to them.nYou must have a professionaldriving assessment beforeordering a left foot acceleratorand lessons with a qualifiedinstructor before you start touse one on the road.

Warning

8

Combined controlsl steering column mounted – push the

lever to brake and pull it towards youto accelerate (from £400)l a radial lever that you use clockwise

to accelerate and push away to brake(from £700)l floor mounted push-pull levers –

position and strength needed can beadjusted to suit you (from £900)

l clamp-on controls simply bolt on tothe pedals (£350) – best as a shortterm option.

Separate accelerators and brakesl there is a wide range of separate hand

controls for accelerating; use with floormounted brakes (from £550)l accelerator rings (from £1,800) need

less effort and let you steer with bothhands on the wheel; they don’t interfere with the steeringwheel adjustment.

Parking brakeMechanical attachments are simple to fitand can make it easier to use thehandbrake (from £70). Electronic parkingbrakes cost from around £700.

SECONDARY CONTROLS If you have difficulty using controls forthe lights and indicators, there aresimple and complex solutions.

If you need to work the indicator withyour right hand, you can have anextension fitted to the indicator stalkthat takes it over the steering column.

If you have more complex needs,electronic systems can be fitted thatbring all the secondary controls togetherin one unit.They are operated by hand orby nudging with your head, arm or leg.Some work with just one button.

Single lever accelerator and brake – here fittedwith optional indicator switch – Jeff Gosling

Floor-mounted Menox Carospeed – Autoadapt

K5 under ring – Autoadapt

Indicators extension – Alfred Bekker

9

Prices vary widely depending on howcomplex the controls are and on thewiring system of the car (from £700).Check the cost of any adaptation before ordering it. Also check that it is compatible with your car. Youradaptation company will advise on this.

OTHER WAYS OF DRIVINGNearly all controls can be altered oradapted to suit you and completesystems built around you if necessary.You will need a thorough assessment ata Mobility Centre and specialistinstruction for systems that involvedriving in a very different way.

Finance

Motability – Scheme for peoplereceiving the Higher/Enhanced RateMobility Component of DLA, PIP orArmed Forces Independence Payment(AFIP) or the War Pensioner’s MobilitySupplement (see page 11 for moreinformation).

Access to Work – May help if you areworking or about to start work. Phone0345 268 8499, ask at your Jobcentre orgo to www.direct.gov.uk/disabledpeople.

Grants – Contact the MS Society GrantsTeam (see page 11) for information aboutgrants for vehicle adaptations.Alternatively, try:l Charity Search – provide a free

service for people over 50, to helpfind a grant-giving charityTel: 0117 982 4060 (9am-2.30pm)www.charitysearch.org.uk

l Turn2Us – a website for people infinancial need: www.turn2us.org.uk

l contacting local support groups (seepages 10-11)

l your library for local charities such as the Round Table or the Rotary orLions Clubs.

VAT exemption on adaptations – You donot have to pay VAT on adaptations, or insome cases on the purchase andmaintenance of an adapted car.Information from HM Revenue andCustoms (see page 11).

Vehicle Excise Duty (Road Tax) – Youdon’t have to pay this if you get theHigher Rate Mobility Component of DLAor PIP, War Pensioner’s MobilitySupplement or AFIP. You can claimdisability exemption when you apply forvehicle tax www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax.

Car insurance – Under the Equality Act2010, insurance companies are notallowed to refuse disabled driversinsurance or charge extra withoutjustifying evidence. Shop around for thebest deal. If you have a heavily adaptedcar, Mobility Centres and DMUK (seepages 10-11) have lists of companies thatspecialise in insuring disabled drivers.


Steering knob combined with wirelesssecondary controls – Lodgesons

10

Furtherinformation

Brain and Spine Foundationl research, education and informationl help and advice to people affected by

brain and spine disorders.Freephone 0808 808 1000Email [email protected]

Demandl national charity that designs, makes

and repairs specialist equipment fordisabled peoplel online shop selling new and second

hand specialist sporting and mobilityequipment.

Tel 01923 681 800Email: [email protected]

Disability Benefits HelplinesFor information and advice about anexisting claim.lDisability Living Allowance (DLA)Tel 08457 123456l Personal Independence Payment (PIP)Tel 0845 850 3322www.gov.uk/disability-benefits-helpline

Disabled Living Foundation (DLF)l advice and information on disability

equipmentl training for professionals.Tel 0300 999 0004 (10am-4pm)www.dlf.org.ukwww.livingmadeeasy.org.uk

Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK)l the campaigning charity for disabled

motorists. They run the Baywatchcampaign against parking abuse andrepresent disabled people’s needs at anational level. Membership £24 peryear – includes monthly magazine.

Tel 01508 489449Fax 01508 488173 Email [email protected]

DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency)Drivers Medical Group Tel 0300 790 6806Fax 0845 850 0095Email [email protected]/driving-medical-conditions

Driver & Vehicle Agency(Northern Ireland)Driver Licensing Medical Section Tel 0845 402 4000 Email [email protected]

Blue Badge Scheme

Allows disabled people to parkin restricted areas. The rulesare different in different placesso do read and follow theconditions of use carefully. Thescheme is administered by local authorities who deal withapplications and issue badges.Contact your local authorityfor more information or phone:

0844 463 0213 (England)0844 463 0214 (Scotland)0844 463 0215 (Wales)

[email protected]/apply-blue-badge

11

Forum of Mobility Centresl network of independent, accredited

Mobility Centres which will carry outdriving assessments, advise drivers,passengers and carers and in somecases help you find a specialist driving instructorl national information service on

driving, equipment and adaptations.Freephone 0800 559 3636Email [email protected]

HM Revenue and CustomslVAT relief on adaptations (VAT Notice

701/7) and motor vehicles (VATNotice 701/59) for disabled people.

Tel 0300 123 1073www.gov.uk/hmrc

MotabilitylUse Higher/Enhanced Rate Mobility

Component of DLA, PIP or AFIP oryour War Pensioner’s MobilitySupplement to lease a car. lMaintenance and servicing, insurance

and breakdown assistance areincluded. Motability contributetowards the cost of adaptations.l You may have to make an advance

payment to cover the cost of the car.lMotability have useful information,

including videos on choosing a car anddriving adaptations on their website.

Tel 0300 456 4566Textphone 0300 037 0100www.motability.co.uk

Multiple Sclerosis TrustlUK charity providing information for

anyone affected by multiple sclerosis.Tel 0800 032 3839Email [email protected]

One Big Day/Big EventlMotability run these regional events

for customers and people interestedin the scheme – you can see and testdrive cars and adaptations.

Tel 0300 456 4566www.motabilityevents.co.uk

Positive about MSlwebsite dedicated to give information

and support to people who haveMultiple Sclerosis, or who are affectedby the condition.

Email [email protected]


Multiple Sclerosis Society

nUK’s largest charity dedicated tosupporting everyone whose life istouched by MS. n Funds research into MS andcampaigns to improvetreatment and care.nProvides emotional, practicaland financial support to peoplewith MS and their carers andfamilies.

Tel 0808 800 8000Email [email protected]

GrantsTel 020 8438 0700 (ask for grants team)Email [email protected]

Consumer research for olderand disabled people.

Rica is an independent charitythat publishes information onproducts and services for olderand disabled people.

Tel: 020 7427 2460Email: [email protected]

@RicaUK

facebook.com/RicaUK

The information in this guideis correct at the time of goingto print (April 2016). It is reviewed every two years.See our website for anychanges since printing.

ISBN: 978-1-907408-36-6© Rica 2016

In partnership with:

forum of mobility centres

NMS03/0416

Motoring with multiple sclerosis · 3 Try out before buying Try any car you are considering. Try...

Documents

Transcript of Motoring with multiple sclerosis · 3 Try out before buying Try any car you are considering. Try...