Trying to learn to drive again... totaled the car.

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I haven't driven since 2007 when I was injured in a car accident. Recovery has been an incredibly slow process, but not unusual with the type of injury. In that time I have regained most all abilities, and driving was one of the last functions to try and regain. But it was difficult and a bit scary because my driving leg, the right, was the one injured. Recently we put in a left leg driving adapter and I have made a few test runs on the farm road in front of our house. Yesterday I went out again and drove it straight and hard into a tree. In a clearing I meant to stop for a three point turn, but I instinctly used my right leg and hit the gas which is now where the brake should be. I always worried about this as I felt too mentally programmed and unable to make the adjustment. If I focused with all my might I could do it, but as soon as something happened unexpected or fast I feared auto-pilot, and now an incorrectly programmed auto pilot would kick in. It did. Even knowing I was heading into the trees my body floored the gas to the last minute. I am kind of lucky I hit the tree, as that was preferable to going down the ravine behind into the river.

I am ok, the car can be replaced. I think the tree will live. But I am in a quandary. If I drive with my right, I think I risk re-injury. I barely made it thru that pain last time and became suicidal. I seriously wonder if I could do it again. If I drive with the left, I think it will feel like driving a truck of nitro glycerine around for a living. Just a matter of time before something happens. I think I could give up on it, but driving would be a great improvement and increase the quality of life, and probably more importantly it is expected of me so I can share the load more equitably and relieve others of extra chores and trips.

can you get a car with hand controls so you don't have to use your legs at all

I am pretty sure that exists because I've seen it for people who are paralyzed from the waist down

Probably worth the $$$ if you have it and really want to drive but don't feel comfortable using your legs

Would it help if you took it really, really slowly? Practice in really safe areas until the old habits don't kick in, in a crisis?

It might make things easier about the business of switching legs if you brought your eyes to the other side of the car. I know Subaru made station wagons for the USPS with right-hand-drive dashboards and automatic transmissions, they started with a really tough basic car of theirs - here's a photo;
Postal Subaru interior

I think it's also worth mentioning that some automatics' shifting is easier to control with the throttle than others'. Subaru's or Honda's basic automatics are good examples, they have four/five gears you can feel through the car body just by double-checking the throttle position. Look for vehicles with lots of tactile feedback from the motor and transmission, it's just as important as traction and handling, since it does a lot to determine both.

Have you thought about acting as if you are learning for the first time and taking months to learn? Also, would an manual transmission help?

Manual transmissions are more difficult to use than automatic transmissions.

Hi, 12345.

Thanks for your responses.

Talk about a motor skills issue.

You have given me quite a few options to think about.

Subarus also make really easy cars to learn manual with. They have lots of torque and AWD/4wd so they rarely stall. A mechanical cutoff between the motor & gearbox is also much safer.

I drive a fast Saab with a five speed stick and I couldn't imagine a better car for an aspie. On top of being extremely cheap, safe and mechanically basic, they have great handling everywhere and the front seats work just fine when you really need a nap. Even if you can't learn manual, I would always recommend a Swedish car.

I did drive standard transmission volkswagons for several years. The Sirocco was sweet. It was more difficult for me to pick up I think. Many stalls. At least my friends thought so if their laughter was any indication. And I had some problems going back to automatic transmission as well. Once I hit the break hard going 55mph thinking it was the clutch and sent a dozen dozing soldiers flying in the van I was driving.

But don't you drive a clutch with two feet? I can't remember, and I have only one that is safely useable.

I echo the hand control suggestion but there are also semi-automatics I believe that don't have a conventional clutch to control. I think the clutch is part of the gear lever.

I hope you find a solution.Glad to know you didn't get hurt.I enjoy the independence of driving.I like my automatic.The car I learned with was a VW bug,it was ok where it was flat,but I hated the clutch on hills.It seemed everytime I stopped on one, the car behind me would be right on my bumper,I always worried about stalling or rolling back.It was too much of a distraction.I drive great in rural areas and small towns,not good in busy cities.I have ran two red lights by being distracted.Didn't get any tickets,lucky for me.I never drive at night in town,the newer headlights tend to blind me.I love to drive,but I know I will always have some limitations.I don't want to have an accident and hurt someone or myself.

Some new overridable automatics are actually manuals with two clutches, one disengages while the other engages while the car shifts, so the disengagement point is only accessed for a fraction of a second. That said, it's cheaper to go to the effort of finding a manual car with a really easy clutch like something old, Japanese and recyclable. I've met some old gearheads hobbling about on canes at my grocery store who drive pretty fast cars with race clutches.

That's an awful lot of plastic you're discussing. I miss my Datsun every day.

You can get robotic Manuals (Like Daimler-Benz-Smart Fortwo roller skates), good robotic manuals (such as VW/Audi), Automatics that roll over and play manual (think Acura and Mercedes), and my favorite, manuals that old ladies like.

The last subset is something you can learn idiosyncratically as long as you know what a clutch does and make it move. You can gun them around town in the first four gears or spend $5 on gas every month. Think long and hard about a Toyota Tercel. On simple manual cars it's common to route the clutches to a motorcycle clutch handle on the shifter. My friend has a rebuilt Tercel with 300,000 miles on the clock and it shifts easier than my car.

Last edited by cberg on 08 May 2014, 10:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

Further motivation: I know a man well, he has a carbon fiber foot and he kicks my sorry ass in the BMX park every year. Don't give up on driving fun cars and suck the joy out of your life with via silly straw in some flaky PVC Mitsubishi.

I know about fast Autotragics too. cberg does PM...

Manual transmissions require BOTH feet and BOTH hands.

NO way could I ever learn to do that (and I tried ONCE)

All I know is that someone far more experienced with driving told me that he felt like he had more "control" with a manual. If you are good with doing a few things at once, but the lack of control is the issue, I thought maybe this would help.