THE PROBLEMS OF THE DISABLED DRIVER

Little is currently known about the extent or nature of the population of drivers suffering from disability, or the problems that they face in coping with the Australian road system. Disabled people would benefit greatly from increased mobility, but little is known about the factors which deter them from becoming drivers. Preliminary results of a survey of 421 disabled drivers are presented. Unlike most populations of disabled, there were relatively few elderly individuals in the sample. While there was little evidence of problems coping with the road system, other than parking, there is a clear need for better rear vision devices and improved design of the spinner knob. Ergonomic factors led many individuals to choose large vehicles. While parking at work is rarely a problem, disabled drivers are still excluded from many venues because of inadequate provision of disabled parking. Distance from the parking space to the destination seems to be the most frequent problem. (Author/TRRL)