East Anglian DriveAbility (EAD), one of Driving Mobility’s UK assessment centres, has enabled new driving possibilities for James Kipling from Kings Lynn, after a motorbike accident resulted in traumatic injuries to his spine.

Driving Mobility accredits twenty independent organisations which offer professional support and driving assessments to people who need to gain, or retain, the ability to drive following a diagnosis involving impairment or disability. EAD is part of this network with centres in Thetford and Colchester. In addition to driving assessments, its Occupational Therapists and Driving Advisors provide several additional services including guidance regarding specialist paediatric car seats and mobility scooters.

Following James’ motorbike accident two years ago, metal implants were inserted into his back to support his damaged spine. Now a wheelchair user and unable to walk, James began to investigate how he could learn to drive a vehicle for the first time. His GP advised that Driving Mobility provides specialist driving assessments with professional advice regarding suitable adaptations. Following a self-referral, James visited his local centre, EAD, in 2018.

James, age 24, comments: “I felt quite nervous when I arrived at EAD but I was very impressed from the start. The Centre staff ran through my medical records and assessed my physical and cognitive abilities and then asked me to try a Static Assessment Rig. This is a driving simulator that can be fitted with different adaptations to match individual requirements. I was able to operate the accelerator and brake from the steering wheel, which gave me a good idea of how I could drive a car whist in a safe, controlled environment.”

EAD’s Static Assessment Rig provides information on reaction speeds, vision, steering ability and braking strength. As James successfully completed this part of the assessment, EAD felt confident he was ready to proceed to driving a dual-controlled vehicle accompanied by a Centre Driving Advisor.

James comments: “The Driving Assessment was amazing! The same adaptations were fitted to the vehicle and because I had already practised with them on the driving simulator, I picked it up straight away. The whole experience was made straightforward and easy for me.”

Following his assessment, Driving Mobility provided James with a comprehensive written report which he took to his GP for medical approval to drive. The DVLA were updated and James subsequently passed his theory test. He is now applying for a Motability vehicle which will be fitted with the recommended driving controls and is looking forward to applying for his driving test.

James concludes: “I would prefer to use my own adapted car for driving lessons, so that I get plenty of practice with the adaptations best suited to me. I already have a transfer board to assist me with getting from my wheelchair into a car and I plan to use the centre ring accelerator and a side handbrake that I trialled at EAD. I’m really feeling confident and positive about future driving and I’m very grateful to the EAD team for helping me get to this point.”

The North West Driving Assessment Service (NWDAS) based in St Helens, Merseyside, has launched a new outreach scheme at a community fire station in Leyland, Lancashire, providing driving and adaptation assessments alongside home fire safety guidance.

NWDAS is delivered by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Bridgewater) and accredited by the charity, Driving Mobility. Its team of Occupational Therapists and Approved Driving Instructors provide professional support and driving assessments to people who need to gain, or retain, the ability to drive following a diagnosis involving impairment or disability. Driving Mobility oversees a network of twenty independent organisations – all striving to provide safe and independent mobility.

Following a successful pilot of the new outreach scheme, NWDAS is now officially offering independent driving assessments and adaptation assessments to people of all ages at Leyland Community Fire Station. This additional location reduces travel time for many individuals living in the North West.

Rebecca Jones, NWDAS Team Leader, comments: “We are delighted to have launched our new outreach service which we believe will greatly benefit the driving community in Lancashire. The NWDAS serves the whole of the North West, and the additional Leyland venue allows us to be even more accessible to the general public. We hope this will encourage people to gain professional driving information and specialist advice. The new service reflects Bridgewater’s strong commitment to collaborating with local partner organisations in all the local communities in which we work, so we can ensure all our services are not only of the highest quality, but they are also accessible for all.”

As part of its new service arrangement, NWDAS is a preferred partner of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. As such, clients visiting NWDAS in Leyland for a driving or adaptation assessment can also be referred into the “Fire Safe and Well Check Scheme”. This includes advice and free home checks, free smoke alarms and additional safety equipment where deemed appropriate.

Rebecca comments: “Through our new partnership with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, we are enabling our driving assessment clients to also benefit from free home fire safety checks. This is an outstanding additional service which reiterates our comprehensive duty of care to vulnerable clients.”

To find out more about the support available from The North West Driving Assessment Centre visit www.bridgewater.nhs.uk/northwestdrivingassessmentservice or call 01942 483713.

#MyDrivingMobility

Richard Dutton, 65, from Bristol, recently attended the Driving and Mobility Centre (West of England), to assess fitness to drive, twelve years after a serious vehicle collision resulted in partial loss of vision.

The charity, Driving Mobility, is a network of sixteen independent organisations, many with satellite centres, covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which offer professional, high quality information, advice and driving assessment to people who need to gain or retain independence through mobility. Driving assessments include checks of visual, cognitive, and physical abilities with all centres staffed by Occupational Therapists as well as Approved Driving Instructors. The Driving and Mobility Centre (West of England) provides passenger, driving and scooter assessments and enables people to stay independently mobile, in safety and comfort.

In 2006, Richard was involved in a head-on collision with a motorist travelling in the opposite direction, who was overtaking six cars simultaneously. The impact was so severe that Richard spent the following month in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxfordshire. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by the force of the sudden head-on impact resulted in Homonymous hemianopia – a visual field loss on the same side of both eyes. It is often seen as a result of strokes and traumatic brain injuries due to the way vision is represented in the brain.

Richard underwent a standard eye test, the binocular Esterman visual field test, used by the DVLA to assess if people are fit to drive, and his right-hand side vision was graded as being lower than the acceptable benchmark.

Mr Dutton comments: “The day of the crash, I was on my way to work. A trained jazz musician and performer, I was teaching music at Magdalen College School in Oxford and had also taught prison inmates for 15 years.  I simply could not escape the car coming towards me on the same side of the road. My injuries meant that I had to surrender my driving licence and as I was unable to transport music equipment in my car, unfortunately my professional career stopped at that point.”

In 2017, having relocated to Bristol, Richard decided to see if his driving could be assessed again. Accustomed by now to using public transport, he also felt that he had adapted to his altered vision and would like to see if he could regain his licence. The DVLA requested written support from medical professionals and his new GP contacted them. He also received support from a private neurologist in London, who was familiar with Richard’s eye condition and felt he was fulfilling DVLA criteria.

Richard comments: “The DVLA have now agreed to reconsider my case under Section 88 permission. They referred me for an initial assessment with the Driving and Mobility Centre (West of England), at the Vassall Centre in Bristol, who provide comprehensive assessments of ability to drive a vehicle safely. I had a meeting with an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) and an Occupational Therapist, who then accompanied me out in a car.”

Richard continues: “This is the first time I had driven in twelve years and I admit to being a little rusty on the gears and clutch! Mark and Helen were both incredibly supportive however. Afterwards, we spoke about things that had gone well and they also highlighted some areas of concern. The centre has now sent a report to the DVLA and recommended that I take a short course with an accredited driving instructor. The services offered by the Driving Mobility centres are so beneficial and I really hope people are made aware of them in the early stages of rehabilitation. I shall be returning for a second assessment and I am hopeful that as I will be familiar with driving by that stage, a clear picture of my abilities will emerge.”

#MyDrivingMobility