Driving

Obtaining a licence

Many people with hemiplegia are able to drive a car, providing it has automatic gears, power steering and steering and indicator adaptations. You will not, however, be able to obtain a licence if you have epilepsy or severe eye problems.

Useful modifications

Your choice of car might depend on which side is affected by hemiplegia, since some cars have the indicator on the left side of the steering wheel and some the right. If you have enough control over your affected hand to knock the indicator up or down, then all you need is an extension to the indicator lever. Your stronger hand is then left free to steer with a steering ball attached to the steering wheel. These can be either fixed or detachable, depending on whether other people use the car. If you cannot operate an extended indicator lever with your affected hand, then you need a gadget with an infrared beam fixed to the steering wheel, which you operate with your stronger hand.

Forum of Mobility Centres

The Forum of Mobility Centres is a network of 17 independent organisations covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, who offer information, advice and assessment to people with a disability who think they may need special modifications to a motor vehicle in order to be able to control it safely.

Address: The Forum of Mobility Centres, c/o Providence Chapel, Warehorne, Ashford, Kent TN26 2JX

Phone: 0800 559 3636

Email: mobility@rcht.cornwall.nhs.net

The Mobility Advice and Vehicle Information Service (M.A.V.I.S.) which was based in Berkshire, no longer exists.

Regional Forum of Mobility Centres

Belfast

Disability Action
Portside Business Park
189 Airport Road
Belfast
BT3 9ED
Tel: 02890 297880
Fax: 02890 207881
Email: mobilitycentre@disabilityaction.org

Birmingham

Regional Driving Assessment Centre
Unit 11
Network Park
Duddeston Mill Road
Birmingham
B8 1AU
Tel: 0845 3371540
Email: info@rdac.co.uk

Bristol

Mobility Service of the Disabled Living Centre (West of England)
The Vassall Centre
Gill Avenue
Fishponds
Bristol
BS16 2QQ
Tel: 011796 59353
Fax: 011796 53652
Email: mobserv@thisisliving.org.uk
Website: www.thisisliving.org.uk

Bodelwyddan

North Wales Mobility and Driving Assessment Service
Disability Resources Centre
Glan Clwyd Hospital
Bodelwyddan
Denbighshire
LL18 5UJ
Tel: 01745 58 48 58
Fax: 01745 535 042
E-mail: alexbarr@btconnect.com

Cardiff

South Wales Mobility and Driving Assessment Service
3
Rookwood Hospital
Fairwater Road
Llandaff
Cardiff
CF5 2YN
Tel: 029205 55130
Fax: 029205 55130
Email: helen@wddac.co.uk

Carshalton

Queen Elizabeth's Foundation Mobility Centre
Damson Way
Fountain Drive
Carshalton, Surrey
SM5 4NR
Tel: 02087 701151
Fax: 02087 701211
Email: info@mobility-qe.org
Website: www.qefd.org/mobilitycentre/

Derby

DrivAbility (Derby Regional Mobility Centre)
Kingsway Hospital
Kingsway
Derby
DE22 3LZ
Tel: 01332 371929
Fax: 01332 382377
Email: driving@derbyhospitals.nhs.uk
Website: www.derbydrivability.com

Edinburgh

Scottish Driving Assessment Service
Astley Ainslie Hospital
133 Grange Loan
Edinburgh
EH9 2HL
Tel: 01315 379192
Fax: 0131 537 9193
Email: marlene.mackenzie@lpct.scot.nhs.uk

Leeds

The William Merritt Disabled Living Centre and Mobility Service
St Mary's Hospital
Green Hill Road
Armley
Leeds
LS12 3QE
Tel: 01133 055288
Fax: 01132 319291
Email: mobility.service@nhs.net
Website: www.williammerrittleeds.org

Maidstone

DART Driving Assessment and Advice Centre
Cobtree Ward
Preston Hall Hospital
London Rd
Aylesford
Kent
ME20 7NJ
Tel: 01622 795719
Fax: 01622 795720
Email: julie.chatburn@nhs.net

Newcastle upon Tyne

North East Drive Mobility
Walkergate Park
Centre for Neuro-rehabilitation and Neuro-psychiatry
Benfield Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE6 4QD
Tel: 0191 287 5090
Fax:
Email: northeast.drivemobility@ntw.nhs.uk
Website:http://www.ntw.nhs.uk

Oxford

Oxford Mobility Centre
c/o Regional Driving Assessment Centre
West Heath Hospital
Rednal Road
Birmingham
B38 8HR
Tel: 0845 3371540
Email: info@rdac.co.uk

Southampton

Southampton Mobility Centre
Unit 211,
Solent Business Centre
Millbrook Road West
Millbrook
Southampton SO15 0HW
Tel 023 8051 2222
Email: sotoncentre@btconnect.com

Thetford

Kilverstone Mobility Assessment Centre
2 Napier Place
Thetford
Norfolk
IP24 3RL
Tel: 01842 753029
Fax: 01842 755950
Email: mail@kmacmobil.org.uk
Website: www.kmacmobil.org.uk

Truro

Cornwall Mobility Centre
Servicing the South West Peninsula
Tehidy House, Royal Cornwall Hospital
Truro, Cornwall
TR1 3LJ
Tel: 01872 254920
Fax: 01872 254921
Email: enquiries@cornwallmobilitycentre.co.uk
Website: www.cornwallmobilitycentre.co.uk

Welwyn Garden City

Hertfordshire Action on Disability Mobility Centre
The Woodside Centre
The Commons
Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire
AL7 4DD
Tel: 01707 324581
Fax: 01707 371297
Email: driving@hadnet.org.uk
Website: www.hadnet.org.uk

Wigan

Wrightington Mobility Centre
Wrightington Hospital
Hall Lane
Appley Bridge
Wigan
Lancs
WN6 9EP
Tel: 01257 256409
Fax: 01257 256538
Email: mobility.centre@alwpct.nhs.uk

You can find your nearest centre, and more information, on the Forum of Mobility
Centres website.