Are you on the hunt for innovative ways to adapt your vehicle? If you’re a disabled motorist searching for top tech or you’re a learner driver looking for aids to help you pass with confidence, there are plenty of options to help make driving a smooth experience.
There is a range of adapted motoring solutions, such as those from AlliedFleet, and accessories, designed for people with upper, lower or a combination of disabilities. Some of the most well-known adaptations for your car or van include wheelchair hoists and ramps, rotating seats and harnesses.
There are also some exciting innovations that are shaping the way disabled drivers are getting from A to B and beyond.
Top Learner Driver Tech
Stats from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reveal that there are over 1.98 million disabled drivers on the road. If you’re planning on joining them, there are modified cars available and additional tech that can be added to suit a variety of disabilities and conditions.
One of the major advances in tech is in-car voice recognition technology. This is one example of how driving tech is moving forward for learner drivers. Changing gear and switching on lights can be smoothly controlled with the right spoken commands and learner drivers can get to grips with developing their motoring skills in an accessible way as a result.
For those with speech impediments who may not able to utilise voice recognition tech, there have been developments in hand activation tech by companies such as German firm, Paravan. Enhanced controls can make driving accessible for those with even the most complex of needs.
Self-Driving Cars
While self-driving cars are still a thing of the future, the technology behind it is already showcasing how disabled people travel by car or van. The combination of machine learning and AI, along with the autonomous tech, can together allow cars, vans and other vehicles to comprehend spoken commands and observe and react to the surroundings.
This combination of technologies will ultimately give drivers independence and offer practical solutions for those who may not usually be able to drive. While the tech is already in development, with Google and Microsoft both pioneering testing of autonomous vehicles and introducing apps for visually impaired people, we are well on the way to creating self-driving cars.
With voice search and AI becoming an everyday reality, there are many advancements in how vehicles can be adapted and modified to meet the needs of disabled drivers, and these can only serve to enhance the existing adaptations and accessories.