“Being in a car accident, I’d never have thought that I’d be driving, but it’s like I’m taking control – plus I really enjoy it.”
Amanda is in her 30’s now and before the accident she used to be a Business Travel Consultant in London, booking business and leisure trips for companies and solicitors. When she was 21, she was a passenger in a car accident that changed her life.
Amanda says; “I was 21 years old when the accident happened. I was a passenger in a car accident that left me with 2 broken legs, a pelvis that was broken in many places and the top part of my neck was broken (they call it a hangman’s injury). I also had a ruptured aorta and diaphragm, plus a brain injury. This left me with mobility problems, chronic pain that was almost from head to toe, fatigue and memory problems. I don’t remember the 21 years before the accident and I struggle with my memory since the accident.
Learning to drive means everything to me – it will help give me some of the freedom and independence back. Being in a car accident, I’d never have thought that I’d be driving, but its like I’m taking control – plus I really enjoy it.
My driving Instructor is the lovely Lesley, she has been amazing and has helped me so much. I am so thankful to QEF and her for even giving me the chance to learn to drive. She is kind and patient, but she does let you know when you have done something that’s not right and she will teach me until I get it right.
Learning all the theory stuff isn’t easy anyways but with memory problems it’s so much harder, but I worked so hard to learn it. I have a DVD and Hazard Perception DVD at home that I still do at least 3 times a week, I don’t want to lose what I have learnt.
I hated lockdown like everyone. I missed my family and seeing my friends and doing things like going to the theatre like mad, but I also missed driving a lot, it’s a bit like therapy for me I think. So that I didn’t lose my driving skills I would imagine driving and would do the brake with my feet, the accelerator and indicators at home. I would go on a drive through a town and countryside in my mind.
I started driving again a few weeks ago I think. It has been amazing being back behind the wheel, I think that I just don’t want the driving to get taken away from me again. I would recommend QEF to any of my friends that wanted to learn to drive for definite!!
