Driving a car when you’re blind

Back in March, I was lucky enough to drive a car. I’m not talking about a simulation, I’m talking about an actual car on a race track. The Three Sisters race track to be specific. It was one of the best experiences ever.

It’s something I never thought I’d be able to do. I started losing my sight when I was 18 years old. At the time, we didn’t know if it’d get worse, so I never started driving lessons. I was also having seizures back then meaning I’d have to be seizure free for a year before I could drive. While I have mild cerebral palsy, this wouldn’t have prevented me from driving, but I might have needed adaptions.

Just to set the record straight, I cannot get a driving licence because of my visual impairment. Yet it’s thanks to Speed of Sight that I got to experience this. Speed of Sight is a charity that have driving experiences for disabled people. They mainly focus on people with a visual impairment, but anyone with a disability can have a discounted drive. My partner, George, bought me the experience as a birthday present.

Not being able to drive

As I’ve just said, I’ll never be able to get my driving licence. In a way, I’m glad I hadn’t learnt to drive. I think having to stop when my sight deteriorated would have been worse. I know from others that this is extremely difficult and compounds the feeling of loss and reduced independence.

Not being able to drive has always felt like a frustration, especially when needing to rely on public transport. But it’s not something I craved. I suppose it’s not something I’ve lost. But I’d convinced myself that I wouldn’t be good at driving, even if I was fully sighted. Now I don’t know how true this is. Maybe I was protecting myself from feeling hurt. I knew it would never happen, so didn’t want to give it a second thought.

When George told me I’d be driving a car, I was so emotional. I honestly couldn’t believe it. I’d not allowed myself this hope. It might sound pretty standard if driving is something you do daily. But I suppose that’s the point. For me it was an unrealistic dream, until now.

The driving experience

When arrived at the track, we were welcomed by volunteers. They explained how it worked and went through everything. Even when we were waiting for my turn, the atmosphere was so lovely. Everyone was in the same boat. For some people, this was their 4th or 5th time at a Speed of Sight event. I think this shows the power and importance of a charity like this.

There were several cars quite a distance away. It turns out they were both new vehicles and it was their first track outing. They were donated and built specifically for the charity, and even were named after the founders guide dogs!

All the cars are custom built with dual controls. They were a bit like a race car with an open top and were very low to the ground. They had 2 cars on the track at one time which surprised me. Luckily for George, friends and family were able to watch from a seated area next to the track.

The actual driving

From the moment I knew, I’d been so excited. Until I was stood in front of the car. Then the nerves kicked in. Can I actually drive a car? What if it’s not as special as I thought it’d be? Then stepped in Mike Newman. He’s the fastest blind driver in the world and the co-founder of the charity.

He asked what my level of sight was, so he could give me the visual information I needed. I was introduced to the driving instructor who I’d be driving with. Before I knew it, I’d climbed into the car, was strapped in, had a helmet on and could hear the instructor through a headset. There was no messing around. The engine started and we pulled away from the starting line.

To begin with, I had my hands on the steering wheel and could feel it move as the instructor went round the corners, this was so I could learn how much it needed to be turned at each corner. I also rested my feet on the pedals and could feel them moving up and down as the instructor drove. It was an automatic car so I only had 2 pedals. I’ll be honest, I had no idea how hard or how much I needed to push down. I’d never done it before. But I was surprised at how quickly I picked it up.

My turn!

After a lap or so round the track, it was my turn! Obviously I wasn’t alone and the instructor could step in whenever was needed. He had a steering wheel and pedals as well. But mainly it was done by talking. He’d tell me when to start turning, when it was safe to accelerate and when to break (a little bit).

If anything, I was encouraged to go fast! It’s not every day you end up on a race track, never mind just driving a car. To begin with I was hesitant. But I quickly grew in confidence. I suppose a race track was the ideal environment for visually impaired people. I learnt the route and the turns within a few laps. The weather was quite miserable, but I could make out the big orange cones that were at certain point. This definitely helped with orientation.

It was so much fun. The freedom of being behind the wheel is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I didn’t want it to end. If only I could have kept going round all day. I didn’t care it was raining, and I’m normally bothered about my hair getting wet! I laughed, I cried, I just wanted to soak it all in. To remember what it was like to drive a car. It was most definitely a bucket list moment.

Thank you to George for such a thoughtful gift. Unfortunately he didn’t let me drive us home. You’d have thought normal roads were easy compared to a race track, but oh well!

~ Chloe x