Buying the wrong vehicle happens; way too often. Adaptation cost might exceed that of what it could have been. A more serious example is that car owners often end up having to cut floors and roofs of vehicles because the wheelchair passenger/driver height from floor-to-roof was never measured or confirmed initially.

Choose your vehicle wisely. Many important features could already be integrated into a vehicle design.

Ask yourself the following questions to help you choose:

  ♿   Will I be the driver, passenger or both?

  ♿   Work, play or both?

  ♿   How do I plan to get in-and-out of the vehicle and where does my wheelchair go? (if applicable)

  ♿   Manual or automatic transmission? (Automatic vehicles usually have cheaper hand-control options)

  ♿   Can the doors open wide enough?

  ♿   Is the vehicle seat too high/low/far?

  ♿   Can I operate all the switch levers, ignition key, buttons etc.?

  ♿   Do I buy local or do I have to import a special vehicle?

  ♿   What hand controls will I need and is it vehicle transferrable?

  ♿   What difficulties experienced will need to be addressed?

Also, How long is my ‘long term’ plan w.r.t. driving?:

  ♿   Will I cycle my vehicle often or will this be a vehicle to be used long term?

  ♿   Will I mostly be driving alone or will I have a helper?

  ♿   Will I be driving myself and alternating as passenger on long trips?

  ♿   How many seated passengers will travel along on vacations?

  ♿   Will cargo be loaded in the trunk/boot, roof or trailer?

  ♿   How does my usual parking spots looks like?

  ♿   What distances do I plan to travel?

  ♿   Car, SUV, bakkie, workhorse, minibus, commercial, fleet, truck, bus, sports, camper or caravan?

  ♿   Do I start with a small Sedan and work my way up to a Minibus to drive directly from wheelchair?

  ♿   - What systems can then eventually be transferred to the Minibus?

 

In general, definately automatic transmission vehicles is the preferred choice. If you are a 4x4 or racing enthusiast, you might prefer manual transmission. Either way is possible without compromising on safety, functionality, comfort or vehicle warranty.

 

The main reasons why automatic vehicles is preferred, is as follow:

  ♿   With manual transmission vehicles, you need extra adaptation devices for operating the clutch,

        which in turn occupies your left hand, still nescessary to change gears. Thus, your right hand

        will still need to be on the steering wheel in order to operate the vehicle safely.

        The driver will need some good practice with hand-eye coordination.

  ♿   Secondly, manual conversions can get rather exspensive due to the complexity of the systems to

        allow drivers to safely control all the driving controls. Cheaper clutch options are available,

        but usually at the exspense of excessive complex driving skills. Almost like being good at playing

        video games.

  ♿   Lastly, automatic vehicles usually utilizes systems with less 'stuff' that might populate the

       'maintenance list', saving you money.

  ♿   The most common (or not so common) benefit is gaining a TAX rebate on your purchase.

        Should you have a proper motivation as to why you need this 'imported vehicle', you can receive

        tax exemptions on certain aspects of the purchase. The cost price percentage savings will vary,

        depending on your scenario. Normally dealerships should assist with this process.

        However, before talking to your dealer, consider reading these guides first:

 

      Rebates Info

      Tax guide on the deduction of medical expenses (RtI)

      Tax guide on the deduction of medical expenses (MDacc)

      Get your ITR-DD

 

  ♿   Financing your adaptations with the overall purchase is another great benefit!

        Some system setups can get quite exspensive, so an all inclusive deal can make it much more

        affordable by a single monthly installment.

 

  ♿   Technological advancement of vehicles or an upgrade can also be another great benefit.

        Advanced vehicle features like a push-button start, auto lights- or wipers, automated doors or

        other advanced vehicle options can make travelling a lot easier.

        Planning long term w.r.t. your personal needs, vehicle choice or liking and overall costs is

        strongly recommended.

 

W.r.t tax rebates, not all dealers have worked with the ITAC process before, but all new car sales dealers should be able to assist. Give them a fair chance to try, but should they seem uneager to help, move on to the next dealer or ask us for a recommended dealer closest to your area.

 

You should be able to negotiate transport and delivery fees of your vehicle, even when transporting the vehicle to and from fitment centres. Sometimes your dealership can arrange with a branch closer to us for fitment and then be transported to you. Vehicles are also transported from the manufacturing plant or import point anyway, so transport services could be free of charge on some routes. Sometimes it is nescessary for vehicles to be transported long distances to us and back for example, but again, negotiate a transparent agreement on all fees and charges before you sign. (Also see next question below)

 

 

Never buy a vehicle in a rush or being pushed into a 'one time deal'. It is usually not worth it. We see this happen a lot and vehicle owners end up spending more on adaptations than anticipated.

You should also not rush a dealer into a quick purchase to later expect them to help with transport arrangements afterwards for example. Refer to question above if you have not read it already.

 

Your dealer should be transparent about all the fees charged or the cost for fitments done, if any. Be sure that systems being charged for is the same as within the quotation we have supplied you both with. If your dealer is not part of our 'trained dealer list', do not allow the dealer to 'build their own' system setups or final quotations.

Please consult with us w.r.t. your needs and vehicle choice so that we can supply the dealer with the correct system setup quotation. This way you can also be sure that the correct setup is really customized towards YOUR needs or that you are not being overcharged!

 

Unfortunately for the time being, most car dealers have very little knowledge about vehicle adaptations or only know about one type of adaptation system for example. You should not leave adaptations in 'their hands'. Fortunately, you have found us! If you want to go about it the 'easy way', consult with us first and we will then lias with the dealer throughout the process.

 

Choose a vehicle that is practical. A certain vehicle brand and/or model might seem or feel like the car you have always wanted, but it could end up being a frustration should the vehicle layout or features turns out to not 'work' for you. Important features to consider can be simple things like:

 

        Proper vehicle seat height for transferring from and to the wheelchair,

        Seats that is 'far' from the door sill might require a transfer board to slide over the long reach,

        Adequite door opening angle, distance and width for transferring from and to the wheelchair,

        Wheelchair handling, stowing or loading space options,

        Placement of the indicators, left or right, or integrated in hand controls,

        Adjustable steering wheel, power steering, steering wheel size, steering wheel layout,

        Automated lights, wipers, doors,

        Seat positioning limits, abilities and/or electronic memory function,

        Hands-free driving capabilities if optioned,

        Loading capacities and accessibilty,

        Features influencing parking at home or when shopping,

        Posture support if required,

        Push-lock-buttons on automatic gear levers can be tricky with hand impairments.

 

On the other hand, if you have really saved up to buy that dream car, do not let anything stop you!

99% of the time, virtually any car can be adapted. However, be sure to research properly before adapting your dream car.

 

Apart from the features mentioned above,

  ♿   Ask:

        about dealer participation w.r.t the ITAC rebate processes.

        about their customer policy w.r.t special vehicles.

        for the representative capable in dealing with your needs.

  ♿   Know:

        Long term or short term?

        Driver or passenger?

        Independant driving or the need of helpers?

        Sedan or van?

        Family or fleet?

        Wheelchair handling, if applicable.

        Planned method of accessing the vehicle.

        Planned adaptations to be carried out on the vehicle.

        Summary of needs on paper (see " Downloadable Forms " at the bottom of this page).

EZ-Drive provide it's customers with free consultations w.r.t. needs analysis and system setup planning. Our system specailist with over 20 years of experiance will help you choose the correct adaptations needed. In some cases, custom equipment or alterations have to be specially designed and manufactured, depending on the scenario at hand. Contact us should you want to schedule a consultation with EZ-Drive.

 

Your needs and/or requirements can be completely or partially summerized within a formal report issued by a specialist. However, these reports does not necessarily contain ALL the information required in order to choose your system setup. The specialist at work does not always know all the system setups or pricing structures available. Therefore, understanding your limitations is key!

Such reports can be obtained from:

 

  ♿   Occupational Therapists

  ♿   Physical Therapists

  ♿   Recreation Therapists

  ♿   Doctor

  ♿   Chiropractor

  ♿   Neurologist

  ♿   Physiatrist

  ♿   Internist

  ♿   Psychologist

  ♿   Driver Assessment Organizations

 

EZ-Drive can also provide formal reports w.r.t. planning a conversion or systems setup. Furthermore, EZ-Drive can provide added reports obtained via our 'Driver Assessment Program'. Such reports might be needed by Families, Trusts, RAF or Companies. Procurement by these entities can also benifit greatly by the 'Downloadable Forms' section at the bottom of this page.

 

In most cases, self assessment is the simplest and most cost effective way to determine your own needs. To help with this, if not already read, see the " Which vehicle ? " section at the top of this guide and the "Downloadable Forms" section at the bottom of this page.

 

 

Choosing the Correct Vehicle (FAQ)

Choosing your system setup (FAQ)

Installations / Booking Schedules (FAQ)

Tax guide on the deduction of medical expenses (RtI)

Tax guide on the deduction of medical expenses (MDacc)

Rebates Info

Get your ITR-DD

Dealership Awareness and Training

Needs analysis questionnaire

Products summary brochure

System setup guide booklet

Project planning guide

 

General disability analysis checksheet

Severe impairment report

Needs analysis report

Service delivery memorandum

Products summary brochure

System setup guide booklet