LDrivers Blog

Archive for the ‘Ricability’ Category

One of the most important in car safety features and one of  the 1st ever safety features to help reduce injury and reduce fatalities in cars were the seat belts. Initially only in the front and now compulsory in the front and back of the vehicle the seat belt can greatly reduce the chances of you colliding with the steering wheel and dashboard. It can also reduce your passengers from colliding with each other inside the vehicle in the unfortunate event of an accident. Seat belts have come a long way and now have additional feature added to them such as an adjustable upper belt. This allows a passenger to adjust the position of the shoulder strap, to accommodate passengers of different sizes.

 Seat belt pretensioners retract seat belt and take up any slack in the event of an accident. They do not have the power to pull you back into the seat, so make sure your seat belt in on correctly.

 Load limiters allow seat belts to ‘give’ in the event of a severe accident and help reduce the pressure on the chest. This is done by allowing the shoulder strap to reduce the amount of energy concentrated on chest area by allowing the shoulder strap to extend gradually.

Penalty points and a fine will be accured if all passengers dont wear their seat belts while driving, remember you are responsible for your own safety and everyone elses safety in the car when driving, regardless of whether you are the driver or passenger.

Safe Driving,

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Rather than having to get everything modified for you, you should be able to find a car in which the controls operate easily. For example you should be able to manage your car controls easily so that they don’t interfere or cause any undue injury.

-          Controls should allow you to keep your wrist straight (avoiding –RSI-repetitive strain injury)

-          Controls should be large enough for you to place your hand over the controls so that it is comfortable (e.g. gear lever etc)

-          Controls should not inflict any injury on your elbows or hands when driving

-          Controls should not make you stretch any of your fingers unnecessarily

-          Controls should leave adequate room for hand manoeuvres – rather than restricting the space for movement causing any injury in the long run

It would be advisable to test run the car first before buying  it, test all the controls and their ease of use, the position of the seat,  making it as comfortable for you as possible.

Safe driving,

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If you have already made the decision to purchase a new car you have probably decided on some things you would like to have.  Here are some pointers which may help you feel more comfortable on long or short journeys.

-          Start/Stop button – to avoid keys

-          Remote control of windows when the car is locked. Close themselves when the engine stops

-          Automatic transmission – this is a must for most disabled drivers

-          Cruise control – handy to maintain a constant speed and saves fuel

-          Power assisted steering – useful to reduce the effort needed to steer

-          Parking distance sensor – this is handy for some people who experience difficulty in judging parking distances or have poor mobility or are restricted turning their neck

-          Automatic lights – which switch on automatically when it gets dark

-          Automatic wipers – when it rains they automatically switch on

-          Audio equipment which is voice controlled

-          Heated windows

      Heated wing mirrorsSafe Driving

-          Electric door mirrors

-          GPS (Global Positioning System) – to provide alternative routes and audible instructions

-          Air conditioning and climate control

-          Electrically operated seats (some have adjustable lumbar supports and memory settings)

-          Ventilated seats – to prevent stickiness allowing the air to circulate when driving

-          Storage space – e.g. drawers or hidden compartments in the car, rear seats that fold flat at the touch of a button

-          Pollen filter

-          Bluetooth

As you will see many of these are added extras and some may come as standard features when purchasing your car. It is worthwhile to keep a note of what you feel may suit your particular needs. For example, if you have a family you may need air conditioning and may prefer to have extra storage etc. It’s worthwhile to shop around and ask the car dealers to give you their best deal.

     

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There are advantages to modifying your existing car. It is likely to be cheaper and your car is familiar to you already. However a newer car is likely to have optional extras (see Tips When Buying A New Car) but unfortunately these extras will cost you more money. A new car will be more reliable and will last longer plus you may be able to receive financial assistance through VAT exemptions etc.  These are some of the factors to consider when making your decision on modifying your car.

Safe Driving,

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The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme provides a range of tax reliefs linked to the purchase and use of vehicles by disabled drivers and disabled passengers in Ireland. Under the terms of the scheme, you can claim remission or repayment of vehicle registration tax (VRT), repayment of value-added tax (VAT) on the purchase of a vehicle and repayment of VAT on the cost of adapting a vehicle, up to a maximum of €9,525 for a disabled driver and €15,875 for a disabled passenger.

Relief is limited to a vehicle that has been specially constructed or adapted for use by a disabled person and that has an engine size of less than 2,000cc in the case of the driver and 4,000cc in the case of the passenger.

If you qualify for tax relief under the scheme, you can also claim repayment of excise duty on fuel used in your vehicle for the transport of a disabled person, up to a maximum of 600 gallons per year. In addition, if you qualify under the scheme, your vehicle may be exempt from the payment of annual road tax on application to a Motor Tax Office.

Who qualifies?

In order to qualify for tax relief under the scheme, you must have a valid Primary Medical Certificate. A Primary Medical Certificate confirms you are severely and permanently disabled and:

• Are completely or almost completely without the use of both legs or
• Are completely without the use of one of your legs and almost completely without the use of the other leg to the extent that you are severely restricted as regards movement in your legs or
• Are without both hands or both arms or
• Are without one or both legs or
• Are completely or almost completely without the use of both hands or arms and completely or almost completely without the use of one leg or
• Have the medical condition of dwarfism and serious difficulties of movement of the legs.

To obtain a Primary Medical Certificate contact your Local Health Offices of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Tax Relief for Disabled Drivers

Tax relief is available for the following:-

• A new vehicle
• A used vehicle that has been purchased from an authorised dealer and that has not been previously registered in the state.
• You can also buy a previously registered used vehicle, in which case the amount of the repayment will be the residual tax contained in the value of the vehicle.
• A family member of a disabled passenger can also qualify for relief provided he/she is living with and responsible for the transport of the disabled person in question and has acquired the vehicle for that purpose.
• If the disabled person only stays with a family member on a part-time basis, the residency requirement is not met. However, if the disabled person is a minor who is in residential or medical care on a part-time or occasional basis and who spends a significant part of his/her time at home, e.g., every weekend and holidays, the residency requirement may be met. The Revenue Commissioners may, in exceptional circumstances, waive the residency requirement.

Before purchasing a vehicle you should contact the Central Repayments Office to make sure that you meet the residency requirements for relief under the scheme.

How to apply

The form (DD1) can be downloaded from the Central Repayments Office. All applicants must complete Sections A, B, C, D and E of the form. Disabled passengers must also complete Section F. Sections F and G must be completed where the applicant is a family member of a disabled passenger.

Applying For Remission Of VRT

The following documents need to be sent to the Central Repayments Office:-

• DD1 Form
• Original Primary Medical Certificate if you are claiming for the first time. You must apply to your Health Service Executive (HSE) Area for an application form for a Primary Medical Certificate – obtain an application form from your Local Health Office in the HSE. Complete the application form and return it to the Senior Medical Officer of the Local Health Office. The Senior Medical Officer then appoints a HSE doctor to visit your home and carry out an assessment of the level of your disability. If you satisfy the requirements, you are granted a Primary Medical Certificate by the HSE.

If your application for remission of VRT is acceptable, you will be sent a Letter of Authorisation. You should produce this letter, along with Form DD1 at the Vehicle Registration Office when the vehicle is being registered.

When You Have Purchased the Vehicle

After you have bought the vehicle you must obtain the following documents:-

• An original invoice from the dealer showing the full purchase particulars of the vehicle and verifying that payment of the amount due has been made in full
• An original invoice from the person who adapted the vehicle, showing that payment has been made in full. The invoice must show full details of the adaptations to the vehicle and the VAT charged.
• The dealer must submit these documents, along with the Letter of Authorisation and the completed Form DD1 to the Vehicle Registration Office when he/she is registering the vehicle. If the documentation is in order, the Vehicle Registration Office will register the vehicle without charging VRT.
• Where remission has been allowed, the documents supplied to the Vehicle Registration Office will be used to complete the processing of your application and VAT will be repaid by the Central Repayments Office.

Applying For Repayment of VRT and VAT

If VRT has not been remitted and you want to claim repayment of VRT and VAT, you need to submit the following documents to the Central Repayments Office:-

• A fully completed DD1 Application Form  
• The original Primary Medical Certificate if you are claiming for the first time.
• An original invoice from the dealer showing the full purchase particulars of the vehicle and VAT charged and showing that payment of the amount due has been made in full
• An original invoice from the person who adapted the vehicle, indicating that payment has been made in full. This invoice should set out the full details of the adaptations and the VAT charged.
• The vehicle’s Vehicle Registration Certificate. This certificate is needed to allow the Central Repayments Office to endorse it to the effect that the vehicle was purchased under the Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme and cannot be disposed of for two years. This certificate will be returned to you immediately.

Applying For Refund of Excise Duty on Fuel

You should complete section D of the DD1 Application Form. Claims for repayment of excise duty on fuel should be made every four months. You will need to submit receipts for the fuel purchased and to estimate the percentage of that fuel that is used for your own transport or the transport of a disabled passenger.

Applying For Exemption From Motor Tax

If your vehicle is being registered in Ireland for the first time, you need to present your Vehicle Registration Certificate to your local Motor Taxation Office.

If your vehicle was previously registered in Ireland before you entered the scheme, you will be given a Certificate of Approval by the Central Repayments Office, which you should present at your Motor Taxation Office.

Where To Apply

 

The Central Repayments Office

Office of the Revenue Commissioners

Coolshannagh

Co. Monaghan

Ph : (047) 38010

Fax: (047) 84962

Website: www.revenue.ie

 

Automatic cars have always been a great help to drivers with physical disabilities as there is less work involved with your hands and feet. They are particularly popular in congested areas. Automatic vehicles have no clutch. A gear is selected automatically according to your speed and the resistance on the engine. This makes driving much easier and allows you more time to observe all around you. An automatic will need change to a lower gear when driving uphill, and when going downhill because there is no load on the engine the gear box may not select a higher or lower gear. To remain in a suitable gear for the road condition you can override the transmission using the gear selector. 

 Uphill – You can force your automatic transmission to change up to a higher gear, typically this just involves easing off the gas pedal. For example, if you're accelerating up a hill and the transmission has changed into 3rd or 4th gear, as you reach the brow of the hill you can force your transmission to change up into the next highest gear by easing off the gas pedal. Keep in mind that the more often you keep your transmission in higher gears, the less fuel that your engine will use and there will be less wear and tear.

Downhill – Forcing your automatic transmission to change into a lower gear driving downhill is as easy as pressing the gas pedal as hard as you need to in order to get the engine RPM level to increase beyond the transmission's "shift limit." The shift limit is where the transmission is set by the manufacturer to change automatically when the engine reaches a specific load or resistance. You'll notice that a gear change down happens when you press the gas pedal quickly to the floor in order to pass someone or to accelerate quickly.

If you are towing a trailer you can damage the transmission if you don’t drive in a low gear. This can happen because the vehicle is manufactured to operate and change at certain speeds or loads on the engine. Using the lower gears will keep the engine running at higher revs which reduces the wear on the vehicle.

Always study your handbook and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when selecting the correct gear. When overtaking sharply pressing the accelerator causes a quick change-down to a lower gear and the vehicle will select a higher gear as you ease off the accelerator. Your parking brake or handbrake is required more often on an automatic as the vehicle when in gear will always creep forward or backward. To stop the vehicle from creeping, select park or neutral on the gear shift. Never rely on creep to hold the vehicle on the hill. Apply the parking brake when stopping.

For normal forward driving always select D (drive). Avoid heavy acceleration as it can cause the vehicle to surge forward out of control. Like in a manual vehicle use the right foot to accelerate and brake progressively. Only use the left foot where tricky manoeuvres are required. Always be aware of the reduced effect of engine braking in an automatic. Use a lower gear say 1 or 2 to maintain lower speeds.

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