Door to Door: a travel guide for disabled people

Going by road: Motoring

Sources of information | Motoring | Buses & coaches | Taxis and private hire | Community transport | Other voluntary transport schemes | Help with costs

For some disabled people, access to a car and the ability to drive is often the only answer to achieving mobility. You may live in a remote area with little access to public transport, or your disability may be such that you cannot use any form of public transport. It could also be of course that, it is often just more convenient to use the car. Whatever the reason it is important to consider carefully your choice of vehicle and how you go about obtaining one.

Driving assessment

Whether you are a new driver or are returning to driving you should consider what sort of training or re-training you might need before going to all the expense of buying or leasing a car.

If you are returning to motoring after having become disabled, you may need help in assessing your abilities and requirements for adaptations to any vehicle you drive. Such assessment could certainly be helpful if you are disabled and want to drive for the first time. These mobility centres can advise on the level of tuition needed both for new and returning drivers, and help to make sure that the vehicle you eventually choose is suitable for your needs.

The Forum of Mobility Centres is an umbrella organisation of independent mobility centres setting professional standards, sharing the experience of assessing and advising disabled and older people with regard to driving and other mobility problems. Fully accredited members have demonstrated that they have the knowledge, understanding, staff and equipment to be able to undertake driving and other mobility assessments up to a particular standard set by the Forum.

A list of Mobility Centres, their locations and contact details is given in the useful organisations section.

Motorcycles

The Disabled Motorcyclists Association (www.thedma.org.uk) is a signpost organisation for disabled people who wish to try motorcycling for the first time, or return to riding. They also provide discounts for members and a blue badge holder for motorcycles.

The National Association for Bikers with a Disability (www.nabd.org.uk) arranges assessments and training for disabled riders who wish to take up motorcycling.

Driving licences

If you are disabled you must apply for your licence to drive in the same way as all motorists. The driving licence application form D1 is available from most post offices (it is not yet available for downloading from DVLA via the internet).

Anyone with 'certain medical conditions or disorders' is required to declare them when applying for a licence to drive or for existing licence holders if they develop a condition or disability that might affect their fitness to drive. The DVLA website has a complete list. If you are in doubt whether any of them applies to you, your doctor will have a copy of the booklet 'At a Glance Guide to the Current Medical Standards of Fitness to Drive', and will be able to discuss your particular situation and advise you accordingly.

Codes may be added to your license to indicate the sort of driving adaptations you should use.

Learning to drive

The assessment of a prospective disabled driver will highlight any special requirements such as adaptations. It will also indicate if specialist instruction is needed. This will usually be suggested for a new driver, but if you are returning to driving after a long period you may also wish to gain confidence by having some lessons, especially if you will be driving a car fitted with new adaptations.

Members of the Forum of Mobility Centres have details of qualified/accredited instructors in their areas. Some of the centres even have an accredited instructor on their staff. A list of Mobility Centres, their locations and contact details is given in the useful organisations section.

Special arrangements have been made for young disabled people wishing to learn to drive, and a young person in receipt of the Higher Mobility Component of DLA can obtain a provisional driving licence at the age of 16.

The driving test

Disabled drivers must take the same driving test and demonstrate the same level of ability and competence as any other motorist, although the conditions of the test can be varied to make allowances for particular circumstances. This applies to both the Theory Test and the Practical Test - for example more time may be allowed to complete the tests.

Choosing a car

Which car to buy is an important choice for every motorist and will depend on his or her own likes and dislikes, needs and preferences. These include of course the price, make and model, availability, engine and transmission type, etc.

For the disabled motorist there are added considerations which influence the choice of make and model. These include door widths, to allow room for pulling a wheelchair into the vehicle, or for swinging legs in; the height of the sill on a boot or a hatch; the position and design of controls. The space available for fitting adaptations, such as hand controls, could be critical.

As well as the vehicle itself, the choice of adaptations is a crucial one. There are a lot of different types and new technology is constantly increasing the number available. Making the wrong choice could be costly as well as being inconvenient.

Mobility Centres spend a lot of time looking at what is coming onto the market, and so can give independent advice.

A full list of Mobility Centres is given in the useful organisations section.

Ricability is the part of the Consumer Association that researches and evaluates equipment for disabled people. They have published several books giving advice on adaptations, such as "Ins and outs of choosing a car", "Car Controls", "People Lifters" and "Getting a wheelchair into a car - and travelling with it". Three booklets published in 2005 give information on motoring for people with particular conditions. They are "Motoring after a stroke", "Motoring with arthritis", and "Motoring with multiple sclerosis". More information on Ricability can be found at: www.ricability.org.uk/reports/report-mobility.htm.

Buying or leasing a car - the Motability scheme

For many disabled motorists the Motability schemes are the preferred way of obtaining a motor vehicle. More information about the Motability Schemes is given in the Help with costs section.

Seatbelts

The law requires everyone in a moving vehicle to wear a seatbelt where fitted. This includes disabled drivers and passengers who may need to use specifically adapted belts known as disabled persons' belts. Exemptions can be given in exceptional cases. If there are medical reasons why you should not be compelled to wear a seatbelt, you need to obtain a Certificate of Exemption signed by your doctor (copies available from the Department of Health). You can get advice about wearing and fitting seatbelts can be obtained from your nearest Mobility Centre.

A list of Mobility Centres, their locations and contact details is given in the useful organisations section.

Child Restraints - the new law includes children with disabilities

The updated regulations on the use of child car seats came into force on 18 September 2006. From that date all children (including children with disabilities) under 135cms in height (approx. 4ft 5ins) and under the age of 12 years, whichever is reached first, MUST use the appropriate child restraint (i.e. baby seat, child seat, booster seat, booster cushion) in the front or rear seats of cars, vans and other goods vehicles.

In a licensed taxi or private hire vehicle, if the correct child restraint is not available, then in the rear seat (only) a child under 3 years of age may travel unrestrained - a child 3 years and above must use an adult seat belt. If travelling in the front of a taxi, the correct child restraint must be used and there is no exception.

Rear-facing baby seats MUST NOT be used in a seat protected by a frontal air-bag unless the air-bag has been deactivated manually or automatically.

Restraint systems are available that are designed specifically for children with disabilities and regulations permit the use of these as an alternative to a standard child restraint. Advice can be obtained from the manufacturers of child seats or from specialist retailers of child seats. Alternatively, Road Safety Officers (at county councils) may know of specialists in their vicinity.

In minibuses, the updated regulations only slightly revise the existing requirement for all passengers to use seat belts and for children to use the appropriate child restraint if it is available. There is no obligation that child restraints must be provided. The new regulations extend seat belt wearing to the larger coaches and buses where they are fitted. Initially only passengers aged 14 years and above are required to use the seat belts. Further regulations will be brought in as soon as practicable to require passengers aged 3 to 13 years to use seat belts.

There is a specific exemption from wearing a seat belt (which includes the use of child restraints) on medical grounds. If you think your child should not use a child restraint on medical grounds, you will need to consult your doctor. He/she will decide and, if warranted will issue a formal "Certificate of Exemption from Compulsory Seat Belt Wearing". This must be produced if the police ask for it.

Further advice on the use of Child Car Seats is available from the Government website : www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/Roadandtravelsafety/DG_10037077 and www.childcarseats.org.uk.

Motor insurance

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires that insurance companies do not discriminate against disabled people by charging a higher premium just because of their disability. A higher premium is only allowed if the insurer can prove that there is actuarial or statistical evidence to show that insuring a disabled person - in this case a disabled driver - does carry an additional risk.

Breakdown assistance

A number of organisations now offer "breakdown services" besides those older established and well known ones. When choosing a breakdown service you should check not just the cost, but what services are provided for disabled motorists. The facilities for dealing with mobility impaired motorists varies considerably. It is difficult, if not impossible, for instance for many disabled people to get into the vehicles used for recovery of broken down vehicles. You need to know what alternative arrangements the company makes. Some breakdown services keep details of their members who have particular needs so that special arrangements can be put in place the moment a disabled member calls in with a problem.

A problem for disabled drivers used to be leaving their car to find a telephone in order to let someone know when they had broken down, especially on a motorway. This has now been almost completely resolved by the wide availability of mobile phones. Disabled motorists who have no need of a mobile phone generally may find that they can obtain one on an 'emergencies only' tariff from one of the phone providers. Alternatively organisations which represent disabled motorists sometimes have special deals with the mobile phone companies for the benefit of their members.

Accessible toilets

The National Key Scheme (NKS) offers independent access to disabled people to thousands of locked wheelchair accessible public toilets around the UK. The use of a standard key restricts their use in general to disabled people and reduces the risk of vandalism. A key currently costs £3.50 and is usually available from local authorities, Shopmobilities and Disabled Living Centres, as well as from the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR). RADAR also publishes a guide to the location of the NKS toilets. The NKS Guide 2005 is available from RADAR for £10. Both guide and key may be ordered on line from the RADAR bookshop: www.radar-shop.org.uk. Alternatively, the location of accessible toilets in any region or town may be found at the "RADAR Accessible Toilets" section of Direct Enquiries (The Nationwide Disabled Access Register) www.directenquiries.com/default.aspx?st=nks#searchArea.

Car ferries

If you are taking your car and give advance notice, most ferry companies will arrange for your vehicle to be parked on board by a lift for easy access to the passenger decks. Most ferry companies offer concessions to disabled motorists, but sometimes these are restricted to members of disabled driving organisations, or are available only to disabled drivers (not disabled passengers). If you think you will need assistance either at the port or on the ferry itself, you should contact the port authority or the ferry company in advance, who will need to know about your particular needs.

Reductions in fares vary between ferry companies, vary considerably and some companies give none at all. Where concessions are given they may only be available to disabled motorists who are members of one of the disabled drivers' motoring organisations. Concessions may also vary according to the time of year. You should contact the ferry company direct to see what, if any, reductions they offer.

A list of Ferry Companies and the routes they operate between UK and Europe and a list of Ferry Companies and the routes they operate between Mainland UK and its Islands is given in the Going by sea: sources of information section.

Eurotunnel

You may prefer to go by car to Europe using Eurotunnel.

You and your car are taken through the tunnel on specially designed transporter trains from the UK terminal at Folkestone. The journey takes about 20 minutes and you do not need to leave your car at any stage.

However if you do want to use the terminal facilities at Folkestone they are on the ground floor, making access easier.

Eurotunnel does request you let them know if you are a disabled traveller, so that special arrangements can be made in the event of emergency evacuation be necessary.

Parking - the Blue Badge Scheme

The Blue Badge Scheme is a national scheme of parking concessions for disabled drivers that allows Badge holders to park close to their destination.

More information is given about the Blue Badge Scheme in the Help with costs section. A government online service provides a map of Blue Badge parking bays in 64 towns and cities across the UK. It also gives information about the location of accessible petrol stations in the UK and their service facilities. You can search the map by postcode or area to pinpoint their exact location by going to: www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/DG_10038295.

Since 15 October 2007, eligibility has been extended to include:

  • people who have severe disability in both arms and drive a motor vehicle regularly and are unable to operate, or have considerable difficulty in operating, all or some types of parking meter,
  • children under the age of two who, due to a specific medical condition, need to travel with bulky medical equipment or be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment.

Power to inspect Blue Badges

From 29 September 2006, changes in the law mean that whenever a blue badge is displayed on a motor vehicle, a parking enforcement officer will have the power to demand to see the badge for inspection purposes. This will have the effect of discouraging abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme.

The Department for Transport has issued guidance for blue badge holders and parking enforcement officers about the new power. The leaflets can be obtained from your local authority or viewed from the links below:

Parking in other countries

The Blue Badge parking concession is recognised throughout the member countries of the European Union (EU). However the parking rules and restrictions vary from country to country. The UK-issued Blue Badge gives you the same parking concessions as those that apply to Blue Badge holders of the country you are visiting. The AA Motoring Trust has produced an advice booklet on the parking concessions available to Blue Badge holders in 29 European countries. The booklet can be downloaded from the website of the Institute of Advance Motorists Motoring Trust (which is taking forward the work of the AA Motoring Trust) at: www.iam.org.uk/motoringtrust/advice/parking/bluebadgeusersparkingineurope.htm.

If you plan to drive in other countries where there are no reciprocal arrangements, you should take your Blue Badge with you and enquire at the local parking authority whether your Blue Badge will give you access to any local parking concessions.

More information and advice about parking in other countries is available from the Accessibility and Equalities Unit of the Department for Transport - www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/miu/.

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Updated: 22.07.08 | Contact: dptac@dft.gsi.gov.uk
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