Thursday, June 05, 2008

Blind goes driving

Since birth Sascha Schulze has been blind. Whatever he is doing Sascha Schulze cannot see. Only by touch he has to fell the gear lever and change gear, while he still grips the steering wheel resolutely with both hands. He experiences the force of gravity when he accelerates, goes round a corner and during breaking which pushes and pulls him. A guide of dog during everyday life shows him where to go, and now he is placing his trust in the BMW instructor who is sitting next to him in the vehicle and calmly telling him what he should do next. At the Munich Airport Training site, BMW Driver Training provides the opportunity for this unusual opportunity. There’s lots of space to move around and the vehicle is equipped with pedals on the passenger side. For an an unforgettable driving experience this scenario provides the perfect framework.

Sascha Schulze summarizes his impressions: “For me as a person who has been blind since birth, this is an incredible experience - just to sit behind the wheel myself. The freedom and mobility which the automobile gives people able to see is impossible for a blind person to achieve, even with public transport. There are lots of times when I’ve wanted to be able to drive at times and places when I want to. However, since that will never be possible for me, an event like driving for blind and a visually impaired person offers the opportunity to at enjoy the feeling of freedom at the wheel of a car at least for a little while.”

The participants get another surprise after driving themselves in a car. The instructors at Driver Training invite them for a ride in the X5. The car climbs into an obstacle circuit with steep ups and downs, and tight bends. On the mountain side these are so steep that you cannot open the doors. The X5 still has adequate reserves even if the passengers are thinking: “This can’t be possible”. You might assume the same if you reflected on whether people with visual impairment would be able to drive - But this is possible!

It was held in cooperation with the Bavarian Association for Blind and Visually Impaired People. BMW Driver Training offers a wide range of training courses. On the other hand, the driving experience for visually impaired people is not part of the standard programmed.

posted by: Joe Thompson @ 10:05 PM

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