The Brake Hold
The freedom and independence that driving brings cannot be overstated, especially for someone like me, a C5-C6 quadriplegic. For the past 40 years I have been driving with hand controls. Recently, I discovered a feature in my van, introduced and installed by Universal Motion, that has significantly enhanced my driving experience.
My driving setup includes a six-way transfer seat, a Sure Grip Push Rock Featherlite hand control, and a tri-pin in the 2:00 position.
For the longest time, whenever I went through a drive-thru, I would put my van in park, reach for my coffee, then put the van back into drive and leave. This took time.
My new van, a Mercedes Metris, has a feature called a Brake Hold. When pressing the brake a little more, it activates the Brake Hold, allowing me to release the hand control while the brakes stay engaged.
The next time I go through a drive-thru, I can engage the Brake Hold, get my coffee, and just drive away like everybody else.
An amazing feature that I use all the time.
If your car does not have the Brake Hold feature, you can add it to your Sure Grip hand control by installing their emergency brake lock.
Driving has always been an essential part of my independence, and innovations like Brake Hold make it even more accessible and convenient. I hope sharing my experience helps others in similar situations enhance their driving experience and enjoy the same sense of freedom and ease.
For more information or to install similar features, contact Universal Motion today!
Definitions:
C5-C6 Quadrapalegic: Someone who has sustained a spinal cord injury at the fifth (C5) and sixth (C6) cervical vertebrae.
- Six-Way Transfer Seat: A specialized seat that moves up, down, forward, backward, and swivels left and right to help drivers transfer from a wheelchair to the driver’s seat.
- Sure Grip Push Rock Featherlite Hand Control: A hand control system that allows drivers to push a lever to brake and rock it back to accelerate, designed for ease of use and precision.
- Tri-Pin in the 2:00 Position: A steering device that uses three pins to stabilize the driver’s hand, typically positioned at the 2:00 location on the steering wheel for optimal control.
- Brake Hold: A feature that, when activated by pressing the brake pedal further, holds the brakes without needing to keep the pedal pressed. This allows the driver to remove their foot (or hand, in the case of hand controls) from the brake while the vehicle remains stationary.