Instructing able-body and disabled drivers
Instruction in High-Performance Driver Education (HPDE) provides drivers with invaluable knowledge and techniques necessary to handle their vehicles safely and effectively at high speeds.
When using a hand-controlled vehicle in high-performance driving there are obvious mechanical differences, but instruction is the exact same.
When we drive our cars, we’re not thinking of the limbs we’re using to accelerate and brake - that has been part of our subconscious control for a long time. Your right seat instructor similarly will not be focusing on your control mechanism, but rather your control of the vehicle.
Students
When you first meet your instructor, there’s a good chance they’ve not seen hand controls before. They’ll be curious about how they work at an intellectual level, and likely will have the same series of the questions you’re used to hearing all the time, but once on the race track you’re going to hear your instructor guiding you to be smooth, to keep your eyes up, to look through the turn. These directions will be guiding you towards minimizing the input the car needs to get around the track, and honing your technique in balancing the car in the dance that is high-performance driving.
As a novice student it’s common to hear terms that aren’t immediately familiar - you should always ask the instructor to clarify any unfamiliar language. Occasionally there are terms that aren’t directly applicable to both pedals and hand controls. Lift is an example - this is the abrupt reduction of pressure on the gas pedal, something that causes a weight-shift in the vehicle which can either unsettle the car, or be beneficial for turning, depending on the situation. It’s often easy to make the logical jump to how terms translate to hand-controls, but don’t hesitate to ask your instructor to explain any terms or concepts you don’t understand.
Instructors
As an instructor, here are a few things that you may be curious about when instructing a student using hand controls.
The elephant in the room - how do you give a point-by? It’s a question we hear over and over - when you’re using one hand for gas and brake, and the other for steering, how can you point out of the window? The answer is pretty simple - the driver will hold the steering with their right hand, and give the point-by with their left. This means that the driver will lift for each pass, which is often suggested anyway. When the driver is using right hand controls, this will mean transitioning their throttle hand to the steering wheel and back, but this is extremely common when driving on the street and will be second nature to the student. In organizations that allow use of blinkers to signal a point-by, this is typically easier.
We’re accustomed to helping students with a proper seating position, but this is even more important when you’re only using one arm to steer the car. To avoid arm fatigue we suggest a close seating position and be aware of lazy steering inputs as a clue to tiredness. It’s a good idea to suggest that the student uses a steering knob, or tri-pin. They provide more control over the wheel at the point where you would need to transition to steering with your palm (for Just Hands drivers this is mandatory).
A driver that’s using hand controls is likely to be compromised in their ability to brace themselves in the seat. In a stock seat and 3-point they may need to lock the seatbelt out and move the seat forward into the locked belt to be more stable. In a race seat with a 4- or 6-point, ensure the belts are snug. Ensure that the students legs are positioned in a manner that that cannot impede the pedal operation (ideally strapped down).
Conclusion
Students and instructors alike should be curious and aim to clarify gaps in their knowledge. Students shouldn’t be daunted by taking on a new hobby, and instructors won’t treat a hand controlled driver any differently. High performance driving is a rare sport where drivers with disabilities and able-bodied drivers are equal. It’s up to us as students to engage with this new experience, and up to us as instructors to keep the door open to a new cohort of drivers!
For detailed instructor questions, ADD LINK HERE TO FAQ PAGE
