The auto industry has undergone enormous changes in recent times. This is fantastic for the disability auto industry, as more and more individuals with disabilities are now able to join the roads thanks to the excellent advances in technology and range of adaptations that can be made so that they can enjoy freedom and independence.
Adaptations
There are now automobiles that can make it easier and safer than ever for those with a wide range of disabilities to drive or ride as passenger. This includes wheelchair accessible vehicles, hand controls for the pedals, a joystick instead of a steering wheel and various other brilliant adaptations. These vehicles can be obtained from specialist suppliers like Allied Mobility.
Autonomous Driving
So, what does the future hold for disabled drivers? There is a gradual movement towards autonomous driving where the vehicle will drive itself and this will have a huge impact on the entire auto industry. We are beginning to see shades of this being introduced with various autonomous features now available in a range of modern cars, including adaptive cruise control which adjusts speed based on the cars around you. Other autonomous features available now include automatic forward-collision braking where the car can detect when a collision is imminent and apply the brakes and automatic parking.
Autonomy & The Disabled Community
This is all very exciting, but particularly for the disabled community as it could revolutionize the way in which those with a wide range of disabilities get out and about each day. Currently, they will either need to pass their driving test in an adapted vehicle or rely on somebody else to transport them (potentially in a wheelchair accessible vehicle), but a self-driving car would change all of this for the better. There will still be limitations, such as entry and exit, inputting instructions what to do in case of fault, but these are issues that should be ironed out in the near future.
There is still a long way to go before we will see autonomous vehicles on the road as there are all kinds of technical obstacles, infrastructure issues and ethical concerns to overcome, but the future certainly looks very bright and it will be revolutionary for those with a range of disabilities. Although many people with a disability are able to drive now, autonomous driving would open it up to people with other limitations that are currently unable to enjoy independence and rely on others to get around.
