car and trucks for disabled drivers -- tiny bit of MC content

[Sasquatch Jim]

 You'd think that as many of us disabled drivers as there are, One of the big Auto manufacturers would be smart enough to offer Hand controls for the disabled as a factory option.
The stuff I see on the internet Ranges from clumsy to dangerous. The only systems that look decently engineered are prohibitively expensive. What with fly by wire throttles being completely common nowdays, that part could be adapted so easily.
I would suggest an aircraft type yoke instead of a steering wheel. Full sharp turn with one quarter turn of the yoke. Twist grip for the throttle built into the yoke with cruise control on the other side. Brakes could be applied by pushing forward on the yoke or hand grip levers like on a motorcycle. Power brakes make it not only possible but practical.
Large 650cc scooters have no pedal controls at all. Why not cars and pickup trucks?
I have built my own hand throttle for my P.U. and have modified my brake pedal. I do not try to drive other cars or trucks because it would not be safe.
I mostly ride a Honda Motorcycle with a sidecar. Since it is nearly all hand controls, it is an excellent disability vehicle. Fortunately I live in Hawaii where it is year round riding weather. It does however, rain sometimes.
Since motorcycles have hand controls, Why not cars and trucks?
Come on auto makers, get with it. Maybe it is time for the old ways to pass into history.
The traditional steering wheel is left over from the pre power steering days when mechanical advantage was REQUIRED to steer a car. With modern power steering on nearly all cars and trucks, this is no longer the case. As all bikers
are very much aware that very little actual motion is required to steer a vehicle.
A set of handlebars or a yoke would serve better. A twist grip throttle would allow more delicate control than the traditional foot pedal for any driver, disabled or not.
The ability of modern power brakes could easily be applied with hand grips just as on a motorcycle. Two grips would allow the brakes to be applied with either hand This would also leave more room on the floor board for dead un responsive legs and feet. Cruise controls would be with the left hand.
Another way would be an aircraft type joy stick. Push left to turn left and right to turn right. Pull the stick back to speed up and push forward to brake. This would have the advantage of the forward shift of weight in hard braking being a natural motion in the direction of stronger braking. A system like this would also have the advantage of complete one handed operation for persons who also have only one hand.
  Over a hundred years ago, airplanes developed such a system because it was natural to control that way.  Fighter aircraft are still controlled with such devices because they allow finer and quicker control, a necessity for combat.
These solutions are so simple it can only be negligence that is the reason cars and trucks don't offer a better system.

[oldbike54]

 Interesting Jim , would take a series of servos , and maybe some creative engineering to accomplish . The one problem , self driving cars will probably negate the need for any of this , still ...

  Dusty

[Guzzistajohn]

My former job was in the mobility industry. The training and libality insurance and certifications involved in installing, servicing and training patients to operate a vehicle with hand controls is astromical. I worked for a large hospital system, they decided that was a better business for our competitors to handle.

[Sasquatch Jim]

 Well Guzzista John, Your comments point out two things.
 One is that greedy lawyers have given us a very litigeous society.  Sue because it is profitable, not because anything is wrong.
 The other is that most businesses are afraid to be innovative.  All drivers could benefit from these types of controls, not just the disabled.
  I believe that some day, probably not in my lifetime, I don't have that many years left.  All personal vehicles will be joystick
  controlled, just like electric wheelchairs.  Hell the vehicles will probably be electric too.  They will simply be a big version of the electric wheelchair that can carry the whole family at highway speeds in all weather.
 You watch, it will become fact.  It will probably take another generation but it will change.

[Guzzistajohn]

Well Guzzista John, Your comments point out two things.
 One is that greedy lawyers have given us a very litigeous society.  Sue because it is profitable, not because anything is wrong.
 The other is that most businesses are afraid to be innovative.  All drivers could benefit from these types of controls, not just the disabled.
  I believe that some day, probably not in my lifetime, I don't have that many years left.  All personal vehicles will be joystick
  controlled, just like electric wheelchairs.  Hell the vehicles will probably be electric too.  They will simply be a big version of the electric wheelchair that can carry the whole family at highway speeds in all weather.
 You watch, it will become fact.  It will probably take another generation but it will change.

I agree with you Jim, it's always the end user that suffers in a situation like this. We had a wheelchair client that got burned to death in his van because on an easy lock malfunction right in front of his home. A terrible way to meet his maker, I had been his power chair tech for several years, I was sure glad I hadn't touched his van or the ez lock on his chair. I bet someone had some 'splaining to do!

[Farmer Dan]

There is a guy here in Michigan that makes training wheels for full dress bikes.  Once you reach 25mph the wheels raise so you still get the motorcycle feel when you ride.  Slow down and the wheels lower and keep the bike upright.  I know of two bikes that he has setup.  Don't know what he had to do for insurance and all that but I know there are to paraplegics that are glad he is making them.

[jas67]

  I believe that some day, probably not in my lifetime, I don't have that many years left.  All personal vehicles will be joystick
  controlled, just like electric wheelchairs.  Hell the vehicles will probably be electric too.  They will simply be a big version of the electric wheelchair that can carry the whole family at highway speeds in all weather.
 You watch, it will become fact.  It will probably take another generation but it will change.

Yes, it will become fact, but, the joystick won't be used for driving the car, it will be used for the built-in game console.
It might be used for an available slow maneuvering mode for use in parking lot, driveways, etc, but, on actual public roads, the cars will be self driving, because, our populous as a whole can not be trusted to not be distracted by their mobile devices, food, makeup, etc.

[jas67]

There is a guy here in Michigan that makes training wheels for full dress bikes.  Once you reach 25mph the wheels raise so you still get the motorcycle feel when you ride.  Slow down and the wheels lower and keep the bike upright.  I know of two bikes that he has setup.  Don't know what he had to do for insurance and all that but I know there are to paraplegics that are glad he is making them.

That is a great idea.    I actually thought of this after talking to a guy who had a Harley trike because he could  no longer hold up a 2 wheeled bike.  He hated it.   He hated that he had to slow down well below what cars slow down to in turns.  His wife hated it as well, and wouldn't ride on the back, because she felt like she was going to fly off it too the side in turns.

He briefly looked at the Can Am Spyder.    The dealer he went to treated him like shit, and required, what was essentially a full purchase contact with credit check and down payment to do a test ride, and then, if he didn't want it, he could back out.   So, he went to the local Harley dealer, where, as most Harley dealers are know for, he was treated very well.

[John A]

I operate a '15 van with a conversion for hand controls and to haul an electric wheelchair. It has a six way seat base for transfer. My old van had a similar seat base that worked very well. The new one has a safety interlock that must be satisfied for the vehicle to start. I do not use the thing because it is too much screwing around. I leave the seat base in its position and work into the seat.I have tried to have the manufacturer to disable the safety interlock or install the old style without it. It was explained to me that it was not possible and the new style had to be there in case a child was sitting in the drivers seat and the airbag was deployed, there was a reduced chance the airbag would  injure the child. If it was on my dime I wouldn't have that pile but the VA pays for that part and so no choice. What a load of crap.I built a sidecar frame with the idea of hauling a 250 lb wheelchair . It was too big so I decided to just put on a velorett 560 body . The frame and mounts do not flex which is a comfort in a turn fast and hard. Tires and clutches ,wheel bearings take a beating. I forgot to put on some kind of safety interlock for the children

[Sasquatch Jim]

 In cruising the inner neck I again find how frustrating it is to actually get information on what I want.  I found one page that had an inquiry box but as soon as I began typing it was covered by a popup that had no provision to get rid of it except to go to their page
on tax matters.
 Most of what I found has not improved from when I did this 3 years ago, however their prices have gone up.
 I will just go back to my work bench and build a better one myself.  Screw them.

[Tobit]

I'm not disabled, just getting older.  What I would DEARLY like to have in my vehicles is a trigger operated brake.  At long traffic lights or stop and go interstate tie-ups I experience leg discomfort holding the brake on for minutes at a time or on-off-on-off, respectively.

My F150 has a console shifter and I'd like a trigger to hold or lock while in drive and stopped to apply the brakes.  Press the gas pedal and it releases or release by hand.  Kind of like the anti-rollback feature on some SUVs.  Right now I put the trans in park at long lights.

Tobit

[Shorty]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGi6j2VrL0o

[Sasquatch Jim]

I'm not disabled, just getting older.  What I would DEARLY like to have in my vehicles is a trigger operated brake.  At long traffic lights or stop and go interstate tie-ups I experience leg discomfort holding the brake on for minutes at a time or on-off-on-off, respectively.

My F150 has a console shifter and I'd like a trigger to hold or lock while in drive and stopped to apply the brakes.  Press the gas pedal and it releases or release by hand.  Kind of like the anti-rollback feature on some SUVs.  Right now I put the trans in park at long lights.

Tobit

 My parking brake is on the center console.  I solve that problem by pulling the parking brake at long lights.
 When the light changes I release the brake and drive on.

[rocker59]

I'm not disabled, just getting older.  What I would DEARLY like to have in my vehicles is a trigger operated brake.  At long traffic lights or stop and go interstate tie-ups I experience leg discomfort holding the brake on for minutes at a time or on-off-on-off, respectively.

My F150 has a console shifter and I'd like a trigger to hold or lock while in drive and stopped to apply the brakes.  Press the gas pedal and it releases or release by hand.  Kind of like the anti-rollback feature on some SUVs.  Right now I put the trans in park at long lights.

Tobit

Well, you could always put the truck in "Park".

But, there is an old-time drag racers fix for your dilemma:  Line Lock.

Basically, you push the brake and then push a button on your shifter.  When you release the brake pedal, the front brakes are locked as long as you keep the button on your shifter pressed.  When you release the button on the shifter, the front brakes unlock.

Any hotrod shop should be able to install a Line Lock for you.

[jbell]

My former job was in the mobility industry. The training and libality insurance and certifications involved in installing, servicing and training patients to operate a vehicle with hand controls is astromical. I worked for a large hospital system, they decided that was a better business for our competitors to handle.

 :1: 
I concur.  Though not having been in the business, I used to sell new cars/trucks and had several vehicles over the years converted.  It is not financially possible for a dealership to support this endeavor with personnel, equipment and know-how.  That is why there are usually only a few specialty shops in a large city that perform this service.

[Arizona Wayne]

There is a guy here in Michigan that makes training wheels for full dress bikes.  Once you reach 25mph the wheels raise so you still get the motorcycle feel when you ride.  Slow down and the wheels lower and keep the bike upright.  I know of two bikes that he has setup.  Don't know what he had to do for insurance and all that but I know there are to paraplegics that are glad he is making them.

Back @ Daytona Bike Week I met a guy who had that setup on his Honda GoldWing in `01, so it isn't new.   Didn't see it but he told me about it.

You're right, Squatch, wonder why it already hasn't been done.   Maybe you could put a burr in some company's saddle.     Probably cost less than what the impaired have to put up with now and be more convenient.