+++ BMW Group invites physically disabled people to safety training courses +++ Maren Hammerschmidt and Vanessa Hinz experience the pure pleasure of driving from a new perspective +++ Athletes from the Bavarian Association for Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports (Behinderten- und Rehabilitations-Sportverband Bayern eV) train with the BMW M Driving Experience +++
Maisach/Munich. At the Biathlon World Championships in Oberhof in February 2023, the German team won one gold medal, two silver medals and six more top-six places. As mobility partner of the German National Biathlon Team, the BMW Group provided three safety training courses for physically disabled people for every medal won and one training course for every top-six place placed. A group of athletes from the Bavarian Association for Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports (BVS Bayern) were invited to the BMW M Driving Experience in Maisach to take part in a safety training course with biathlon world champions Maren Hammerschmidt and Vanessa Hinz. The event was as much about learning as it was about driving fun.
The BMW M Driving Experience offers special safety training courses designed by Tina Schmidt-Kindler, instructor and head of project management at BMW M GmbH. The training courses use specially adapted vehicles with manual controls (electronic accelerator ring on the steering wheel or thumb accelerator with separate brake) that can be operated by paraplegics or people who use their feet. Some vehicles can also be operated by people who have suffered from hemiplegia on one side, for example after a stroke. In addition to a theory section, the training content includes driving with manual controls, braking and avoidance practice, and the correct way to respond if the vehicle oversteers or understeers.
“Being able to drive safely on your own despite your disability is independence, which is very important,” Schmidt-Kiendle, who has been paralyzed since surgery, said of the overarching value of the safety training course. “You can decide when to drive from point A to point B and what route to take. You don’t have to just follow decisions that other people make for you. This independence, combined with autonomy and safety on the road, is what we want to convey to our participants.”
The safety training course with modified vehicles is also open to non-disabled people, for example people who work with a disability. 2017 Biathlon World Champions Maren Hammerschmidt and Vanessa Hinz tried it out in Maisach and were impressed by the encounters and experiences they had with the BMW M Driving Experience.
“I’m really happy to take on this challenge. This was our first safety training course and one with special requirements,” Hammerschmidt said. “I had a lot of fun interacting with the other competitors and learning a bit about their history.”
Hintz was also struck by this insight: “It’s interesting to see the challenges these people face. We don’t realize this because we just get in our car, press the button and go. I never imagined what it would be like if you lost the use of your legs.”
BVS Bayern athletes have long been learning how to overcome disabilities: Bavaria’s largest sports association for the disabled covers a wide range of sporting disciplines – from preparing and coaching young athletes training for the Paralympics to recreational sport, promoting participation in sport and rehabilitation sport.
Svenja Meyer, who placed fourth as part of the German wheelchair basketball team at the 2021 Paralympics, spoke on behalf of all participants: “I’d like to thank BMW and the Biathlon national team for a fantastic experience. When you accelerate, you feel a rush of endorphins. I learned a lot of important lessons that will be useful in everyday life and on the road. It was a fantastic day.”
This feedback is what drives Schmidt-Kiendle, as she is convinced that everyone, with or without disabilities, has the right to enjoy the pure pleasure of driving. Those who feel safe behind the wheel, can rely on their own abilities and master their technique are the ones who enjoy driving. She also incorporated exercises into the driver safety training that are fun and can definitely be considered a sporting challenge, such as completing a timed slalom course. These were very well received by the group made up of athletes. “It was inspiring to see how the athletes handled these situations,” says Schmidt-Kiendle, “because they all, naturally, want to be the best.”
The BMW M Driving Experience is a division of BMW M GmbH. Founded in 1977 as BMW Fahrertraining (Driver Training), the aim is to improve participants’ driving skills in all areas – from safety training for new drivers to highly dynamic race track experiences for more experienced drivers. If you are interested in booking a Driver Safety Training course for people with disabilities or other attractive offers, you can book online here.
https://www.bmw-m.com/en/fastlane/driving-experience/trainings/academy-experience.html
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