RiDC produce new car measurements – data for you to choose the right car

Car measurements – data for you to choose the right car

Increasingly people need specific measurements when choosing a car for their needs. Older drivers, who find bending more difficult, are looking for a car with higher seats. Carers often want a vehicle that has a large, flat boot to make loading a light mobility scooter or wheelchair in and out easier. Some drivers are looking for small cars with big boots.

Now help is here, at the touch of your keyboard, with a newly revised online car search¹. With data on over 1,700 vehicles, the car search helps disabled and older people to shortlist suitable vehicles using specific accessibility measurements.

The vehicle database will also be of interest to people working in the motor trade including salespeople, garage technicians, researchers and car enthusiasts.

The car search is produced by RiDC (the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers)², a research charity that works with disabled and older consumers to improve access and inclusion.

Thirty internal measurements of each vehicle are recorded and verified in a laboratory, with data on over 150 vehicles added each year. Measurements include driver and passenger seat heights, door and boot sills and door opening angles and boot dimensions.

“I just wanted to say thanks for your research on cars.  I was about to break my brain trying to find a rental to carry two large dogs and their dog crates along with three pieces of luggage.  Your site is the only place I could find with useful interior space dimensions on cars.  I know this was not your intended use, but thanks just the same!”                                                                                          Rick

Using the advanced search³ people can peruse individual makes and models and use measurements as filters to find vehicles that have no boot sill, lots of legroom, headroom or have high seats. Each vehicle has a PDF factsheet listing all the data with useful photos.

RiDC also has guidance, based on its research with its consumer panel⁴, for older drivers, drivers with specific disabilities – including about car controls – and solutions for getting in and out and getting a wheelchair into a car. Its latest research will look at access of electric vehicle charge points for older and disabled drivers⁵.

Notes:

1. The RiDC car search has internal vehicle measurements for both drivers and passengers. Read about how vehicles are measured. The measurement data, funded by Motability, is used in their vehicle price guide.
2. RiDC is a UK charity providing independent research with disabled and older consumers:  RiDC believes that products and services should be inclusive and accessible for all, from the word go, not as an afterthought. Find out more at: www.ridc.org.uk
3. The advanced search enables users to also search by boot dimensions to check the space available if you need to carry anything large such as a bike, luggage or furniture. There are also some quick searches based on popular requests.
4. In all its research, RiDC uses its UK-wide consumer panel of over 1,600 disabled and older people who provide the collective wisdom, knowledge and experience to review, compare and assess products and services.
5. In its latest research, RiDC has investigated how accessible the electric car charging infrastructure is for disabled and older drivers. The project focused on the electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicles currently on the market. The report is due for release in March 2020.