Although adapted cars for the less able have been around in many forms for a great many years, this modern concept looks very good indeed:
Tom
Tom
Specially adapted cars for wheelchair users
- Thread starter oldtom
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The concept is fine, but it seems very slow. Ordinary mobility vehicles are allowed a similar 8 mph on the road and are easily capable of that and often more. So it doesn't seen to gain a lot but will cost vastly more.
And if someone parks around 4 foot or closer behind, as they often will, it's out of action. It really needs at least a six foot gap for the wheelchair to run onto the ramp from behind, and few car drivers will leave that much gap when street parking. Only parking it at the front of a meter bay would be the best defence to have enough space on return.
It really needs some rethinking about the practicalities.
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And if someone parks around 4 foot or closer behind, as they often will, it's out of action. It really needs at least a six foot gap for the wheelchair to run onto the ramp from behind, and few car drivers will leave that much gap when street parking. Only parking it at the front of a meter bay would be the best defence to have enough space on return.
It really needs some rethinking about the practicalities.
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The blurb informed 28mph but I think they may have mixed up a range of 28 miles with mph?
Good point about the door opening though 'flecc' - I hadn't really given that a thought and I should have done as I drive a car with an automatic tailgate open/close facility and I need to be careful about reversing too close to bollards, car park walls, railings, etc. If I forget and on my return, allow the tailgate to self-open without checking for obstacles, I shall probably need to visit a paint shop.
Tom
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Evidently, that's illegal D8veh, as some Smart car drivers found out when they were nicked and fined.
Tom
I did wonder about that, but as far as I could judge from the video it looked marginal. Even if possible, there might be problems with the automatic ramp hitting the kerb and street furniture could be a problem.
We really need a video illustrating a number of ways to park and enter/exit to really know how practical it is at present.
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"In the UK" you forgot to add Tom. It is illegal to park the wrong way (against the flow of traffic) here especially if there is a solid white line you have to cross to get to the parking spot but it is considered that backing into a parking spot is not going the wrong way. I loved mine for all the parking opportunities it opened up!
Here in France if you park two Smarts on the same parking spot they both have to pay, you pay per car and not per space, as some inventive folk were disappointed to find out...
In the UK that's illegal only at nightime since the red and white parking lights would face the wrong way.
However, that's universally ignored in London and many other places since all park without parking lights on, relying on the street lighting to show up their vehicles. Still potentially dangerous of course since the reflectors are at the wrong end if parked facing the wrong way. In the through road on my estate two car owners have suffered the consequences of their parked car being wrecked.
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Further to my piece in post #5, at least one driver has had a fine rescinded for parking her Smart car at 90º to the kerb. The matter over legality may not be as clear as I imagined but apparently, some parking enforcement officers continue to issue tickets for this practice.
driver-wins-year-long-battle-over-parking-ticket-4989512
Looking at the picture, I think I would be disinclined to park in such a fashion, lest I was unable to access my car on my return!
A friend who rides a motorcycle tells me some bikers have been nicked for incorrectly parking in some designated m/c bays - I'm not quite sure how that is accomplished.
Tom
driver-wins-year-long-battle-over-parking-ticket-4989512
Looking at the picture, I think I would be disinclined to park in such a fashion, lest I was unable to access my car on my return!
A friend who rides a motorcycle tells me some bikers have been nicked for incorrectly parking in some designated m/c bays - I'm not quite sure how that is accomplished.
Tom
D
Deleted member 4366
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There's no law against perpendicular parking, but you must comply with local regulations, like those that say you must park within the marked bay. I guess that's to stop people squeezing into tight gaps, making it difficult for the other cars to get out.
I think it's similar with parking on the wrong side of the road, which I personally think is extremely dangerous. It's the other regulations that you fall foul of, like you have to drive in the wrong direction on that side of the road to get in and out, and, as Flecc pointed out, lighting regulations.
I think it's similar with parking on the wrong side of the road, which I personally think is extremely dangerous. It's the other regulations that you fall foul of, like you have to drive in the wrong direction on that side of the road to get in and out, and, as Flecc pointed out, lighting regulations.
D
Deleted member 4366
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It's fantastic to see that you've escaped from that Brexit thread into the the great outdoors.
The Greaves invarcar, not seen one of those in a while.they were built locally to Southend,at Thundersley Essex, that one looks in good arrainment.