DriveAbility Scotland

Driving independence for older and disabled people

DriveAbility Scotland will help you retain or regain your personal mobility either as a driver or a passenger. If you have restricted mobility, a disability or live with a life changing injury, we can help you whatever your age. Our professional instructors and clinicians will complete an assessment interview, assess your driving and mobility needs and provide you with recommendations to keep you mobile.

How to access our services

Our assessment centre is easy to find – we are located next to Mobility Solutions, part of Allied Vehicles, in Glasgow. We are open Mondays to Fridays, 9am-5pm, where our friendly team will be ready to meet all your assisted driving needs.  We also have an outreach service in Aberdeen, please note contact for Aberdeen is through our Glasgow office.

The services we provide

• Car driving assessments.
• Driver / Passenger access / seat assessments.
• Driving tuition service.
• Off-road assessment.
• Driving adaptations assessments.

Who are we?

One of 20 centres across the UK, DriveAbility Scotland is a member of the national charity Driving Mobility. Driving Mobility sets standards for driving assessments and accredits its members ensuring a consistent and reliable service. DriveAbility Scotland is a new development bringing accessible driving and mobility services to the people of Scotland.

Our Team

The assessment team consists of staff specifically trained to deal with all aspects of driving assessment and vehicle access. The team includes:

• An Administrator – your first point of contact for booking appointments and advice.
• An Occupational Therapist –who understands your medical condition and will look at ways to help you remain independently mobile.
• A Driving Instructor – specially trained in driving behaviour and the use of vehicle adaptations to help you drive.

Our assessment vehicles

We have a selection of manual and automatic transmission cars, fully equipped with dual controls to ensure your safety. We will assess your driving in a vehicle that is similar to the vehicle you currently drive.

Steering and control adaptations

Our vehicles are fitted with various adaptations for you to try and if specialist adaptations are required, these can be obtained and fitted where necessary.

Passenger solutions

We are able to assess your requirements for passenger and vehicle access adaptations. To test possible options, it is always best to contact us first before visiting our centre so we can ensure appropriate equipment is available. Alternatively, we can arrange home visits for more complex needs.

What happens on a driving assessment?

The assessment process usually takes up to two hours. This enables us to obtain a full picture of your needs and identify potential solutions. The assessment will involve:

• A discussion of your needs and how a medical condition may affect your ability to drive.
• A check to ensure your eyesight meets standard requirements for driving.
• A check of your ability to remember, assess and act on situations.
• An on-road driving assessment to ensure you are a safe driver.
• Feedback following the assessment and advice on what steps to take next.
• Supply of a written report which details the findings of your assessment, discussions and recommendations for the future.