Driving While Under the Influence of a Physical Impairment

3086 Words7 Pages

Introduction
In Canadian culture, mobility is an everyday issue due to the vast expansion of the towns and cities; many people resort to driving themselves around. Despite the expansive selection of vehicles to drive, some people have difficulties driving vehicles with a standard interior that are within the majority of vehicles – I am one of those people.
Due to my short stature of 4’11”, I experience many challenges while driving, in comparison to my peers. For example, I must sit on a cushion on the seat to see above the steering wheel, I cannot reach the pedals and the steering wheel without sitting too close to the air bag and steering column, and I have difficulties seeing the curb and a sufficient amount of road concurrently. Cars are not made to fit neither extremities of height, tall or short people, especially sports cars (Consumer Reports). This limits the type of cars I can drive without modifying the vehicle.
Car manufactures have a standard body type that the car is built around. A male of 5’8” is the basis for crash car dummies, placement of controls, and airbag safety. “The body is seen through a set of cultural default settings arrived at by the wholesaled adoption of ableist cultural values” (Davis, 151). Their standard person is not disabled in anyway, despite a large portion of society is disabled in some way, preventing them from utilizing vehicles to the full potential. Canadian society is based on a standard able male and the car manufactures are one example of this segregation and prejudice way of thinking.

Sitting Properly
Proper positions of the body can safe a person’s life, from seat belts to feet. Regrettably, many people are unable to sit properly because the vehicles do not allow ...

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