[Missouri-l] Fwd: Fwd: Blind Drivers

[Mike Jolls]

I looked back over my emails to see if I could find the original message
that started this email thread  but couldn't.  So, I'll just reply to what I
saw from Scott.

 

Believe me when I say driving isn't as easy as it looks.  And, I don't think
a totally blind person should be even thinking about driving, or wondering
whether an insurance company would cover them, no matter what kind of
adaptive devices are invented to enable them to do it.  Driving is simply
too dangerous.

A person without adequate sight should not be thinking about this.  There's
a reason the DMV REQUIRES a certain level of vision to operate a vehicle .
it's NECESSARY.  Trust me, I've done it, and I'm not doing it any longer,
even though I wish I could.  If something happened where an adaptive device
broke down while driving, the operator of the vehicle would be required to
manually take over.  A blind person probably couldn't perform that task and
it would be unsafe for the other drivers around him or her.

 

I thought about writing a much longer reply describing my driving experience
and stating the issues I had which led me to feel the way I do.  Scott can
attest to the fact that my replies can be lengthy . when I attempt to
present a logical argument.  So I decided to just say, from experience, that
driving for a blind person is probably not a good idea.  Ultimately, the
driver has to be able to take control of the vehicle by their own power and
vision if something unexpected happens on the road.  A blind person wouldn't
be able to do that if accessibility devices on the vehicle broke down.  So,
for the safety of the other people on the road, and for the safety of the
blind driver, It would simply be better if the blind person is not allowed
to drive.

 

It's not the answer you want to hear, but it's really the safer way to go.
Even for a person with vision who uses a bioptic telescope like I did ..
it's still questionable.

 

If you'd like to hear the reasons behind my position, email me off-line and
I'd be glad to discuss them.

 

 

 

From: missouri-l-bounces at moblind.org [mailto:missouri-l-bounces at moblind.org]
On Behalf Of KCAgape at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 8:35 AM
To: redrkr7 at sbcglobal.net
Cc: Missouri-L at MoBlind.Org
Subject: Re: [Missouri-l] Fwd: Fwd: Blind Drivers

 

Dear RR,

 

Dr. Hong addressed this in his e-mails to me.  What I wonder is, if an
insurance company will not cover a blind driver, then will there be lawsuits
from the blind community?  After all, NFB is partnering with Dr. Hong and
his efforts.

 

Scott

 

In a message dated 5/8/2010 11:29:18 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
redrkr7 at sbcglobal.net writes:

can you tell us what insurance company will ever cover a blind driver?

rr

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