How to Improve the Inclusion of Drivers with Disabilities: Measures to Enhance Accessibility, Mobility, and Road Safety

Abstract

Access to transportation is a vital issue for persons with disabilities (PwDs). This paper aims to define measures to improve the mobility, road safety, and access to transportation of drivers with disabilities (DwDs) who use hand controls (HCs) and encourage persons with disabilities to drive. Measures were proposed based on identified factors that influence the mobility with private vehicles and the participation in traffic accidents of drivers with disabilities who use hand controls. The research was conducted in Serbia, a country with a lower inclusion rate of persons with disabilities. The dependent variables in the research were average annual mileage as an indicator of mobility and the number of traffic accidents with adapted vehicles per year as an indicator of road safety. The four most important areas for action with seven measures were recognized. The areas of action are (1) improving the driving training process, (2) appropriate vehicle adaptations, (3) improving awareness about road safety, and (4) supporting persons with disabilities to drive. In this paper, we defined measures to improve the mobility, road safety, and access to transportation of drivers with disabilities who use hand controls and encourage persons with disabilities to drive. Based on a comprehensive analysis, we proposed the following measures: individual approach at the driving training process, training in driving simulators, periodic adjustment of hand control’s performance, encouraging using vehicles with emerging technologies, education about risky behaviors in traffic, developing appropriate applications for travel planning, and more support for specific groups (e.g., females). These measures would significantly improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities and contribute to achieving the United Nations’ Target 11.2, improving the accessibility of transport for persons with disabilities. Because the measures were defined on a sample of respondents in Serbia, a country with a lower inclusion rate, their applicability is possible to other regions with similar problems.