This paper presents some results by the SINTEF REHAB research institute in Norway on the assessment of the suitability of various car models for use by people with disabilities. Norway is a leading country in providing solutions for disabled car drivers, including technical aids for access to cars and the operation of cars, that range from simple mechanical devices to advanced electronics. From 1986 on, SINTEF REHAB has edited and published Bildata 01, with internal measures of smaller cars; from 1988 on, it has produced Bildata 02, a similar system for larger cars, vans and minibuses. Bildata 01 and Bildata 02, respectively, now cover about 170 and 55 models on the Norwegian market, but are already being market, but are already being used also in other Scandinavian countries and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere in Europe. The evaluation of Bildata measurements and functional descriptions is inevitably subjective. The data give comparative guidance to a disabled person, but he still needs to try models under practical conditions. To find the cheapest car with a specific combination of equipment, Bildata has an equipment list where cars are classified by price.
Abstract