Driving assessments of disabled people: a three year survey

Between January 1985 and December 1987, 1786 people with disabilities attended driving assessments at Banstead Mobility Centre. One year after assessment, the 1544 people for whom assessment data were complete, were surveyed. Those who were driving were asked to complete a further questionnaire and information on driving experiences in the one or two years after assessment was collected. The report analyses the personal characteristics, including disabilities of the clients assessed. Almost half of the clients were driving within the period of the surveys, with the majority of experienced drivers returning to driving in the year after assessment. The report describes the types of cars and adaptions used, sources of finance, the amount of driving, the purposes for which the car was used and the accidents and incidents experienced. Few drivers reported a mileage of more than 1000 miles per year and the primary use of the car was to visit friends and relatives. (A)