So, last weekend I was blowing off some steam longboarding (basically a long skateboard meant for going down hills) with some friends on the streets of Nashville. Basically long story short I ended up taking a nasty spill and I now have a couple very scraped up hands/wrists, 8 stitches in a nasty gash over my eye, and a broken arm, not to mention various other scrapes. I was put in a splint in the hospital but the doctor has since taken it off, saying that because the fracture is near my elbow I will need to leave it uncasted and work on my range of motion in order to gain full motion back.

I know it may not be the wisest thing to drive a manual car with a disabled arm, but I am going home from college for Thanksgiving (where my S has been waiting in the garage for me for 3 months) and I don't know that I can possibly avoid driving her. I am healing at a remarkable rate so far, but I was just wondering if anyone has tips for driving a manual transmission car with a disabled arm. It is my left arm, so shifting isn't a problem but I am going to work on strength and range of motion in the next week to see if I can get it to an acceptable rate to hold the wheel while I shift.

The worst part about this entire thing is the possibility that I can't drive my S2000! I'm sure you can all understand that.

 

Uhh. Shift really fast and put your right hand back on the wheel?

The fact that you're questioning it should prob be a good sign that you shouldn't be driving it IMO.

 

Ive taken quite a few spills myself bombing down some hills, I can never get my check slides right

 

i drove with a broken right leg.. if it makes you feel better i did fine

 

Risking your life and others to go for a joy ride.

 

Lay off the S if you don't have most of your range of motion back. Hurting yourself is one thing, but the possibility of hurting someone else as you drive a manual car is another!!!

 

And ONLY shift when going straight. No turning with the knee! (hope I didnt just give you a poor idea there haha)

 

Not to mention you're prob on strong pain Meds which would easily get you a DUI.

I know this because I have chronic neck pain and my dr told me not to drive on those "Meds" because I'd get a DUI

 

If you read some of the stories in street encounters, many people do this every time they get in their s it seems.

This is why we can't have nice things!

 

I broke my left toe last week...still drive the S.

I severed my quadriceps tendon on my left leg a few years ago (a VERY serious injury!) and had a straight-leg brace and a cane...still drove the S.

I've had surgery on my left arm many times (enough to hold the wheel, though)...still drove the S.

I was paralyzed below the knees on both legs requiring AFO braces on both legs...still drove the S.


Never missed a beat any of those times, either. Dr cleared me to drive each time, too (though I didn't even bother asking this time about my toe). Most of the paralysis has miraculously reversed, but I'll probably never move my toes again.

I'd say as long as you can drive without major hardship to the point where it's unsafe for others, go for it. And, yes, to those that will inevitably flame me, I never "missed a pedal" or anything like that. Now, many days I've avoided traffic as dealing with that would be a real hardship.

If it's just your right arm, and you can shift with your left WHEN GOING STRAIGHT (I've done it), go for it. Have someone take you to an abandoned lot and try it out.