Safety Issues Rise as More Disabled Drivers Take the Road
From: The New York Times - 10/25/2006
By: Bonnie DeSimone

Rob Smith is a quadriplegic who has driven his car across the country several
times, and treasures the freedom that driving gives him. 

Mr. Smith, 50, of Apollo Beach, FL, got back behind the wheel - in his
wheelchair - 18 years ago, eight years after he was paralyzed in a
recreational accident. Since then, there have been huge advances in the
technology that has enabled him to drive, and he has also helped found a
magazine called Disabled Driver.  

Yet Mr. Smith remains uncertain about a simple question: Would he be as safe
as an able-bodied person in a crash? He has limited use of his arms and
controls his car with a device called a "tri pin," which is positioned on his
steering wheel. When he bought his minivan, he chose a steering wheel
equipped with an air bag after years of deliberately going without one. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/automobiles/autospecial/25disabled.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5070&en=e7ef4335a6a2dbe8&ex=1162702800

Submitted by Jerry Weisman

Links:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_highway_traffic_safety_administration/index.html?inline=nyt-org

University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/university_of_michigan/index.html?inline=nyt-org

National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association
http://nmeda.org/

Avis Offers Equipment for the Disabled
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9E0CE5D8163BF930A15752C1A9659C8B63&fta=y