Driving now is a lot different than it was with two feet

Driving. Driving. Driving.

Haven’t done it in almost a year, and I sure had mixed feeling about having to take an adaptive driving course before being able to have my Jeep adapted with hand controls.

First, the process is expensive, and I thought not worth the time and money. One goes through a 3-hour evaluation process, which includes various hand-eye tests, cognitive tests and finally a bit of driving in a car with hand controls. (A left-foot accelerator was an option at the start, but they didn’t recommend that for me, and that set-up requires even more than the 8 to 10 hours of driving they recommended for me with hand controls.)

Getting to the driving place is a pain, since, obviously, I can’t drive, I have to have someone drive me up to White River Junction, wait for an hour while I drive, then bring me home.

However, expensive, a pain and originally thought to be a waste, I’ve come around a bit.

Yep, it’s still expensive and a pain (and let’s please note that Adaptive Driving are extremely experienced, friendly and easy going), but without the training, there’s an accident waiting to happen. Now one can buy control online and install them, but don’t.

Without going through the training, car adaptation companies won’t alter your car, so that means you’re kind of trapped into spending $1,000 or more taking lessons, then another $1,500-plus getting your car adapted. Tons of money, but as I approach the end of the process, well worth it. Using hand controls is tricky and even though you’ve driven for 42 years, lots of stuff (how you parallel park, for instance) is a whole lot different when you have to keep your left hand on the controls (accelerator/brake) and not use the steering wheel itself (but a “spinner” now  attached to the steering wheel at about 4-o’clock position).

The lessons are in their car, with the final lesson in mine, which will be adapted as my lessons wind down.

Freedom is right around the corner. Yiippppeeeee.