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Comment by vasco | Hacker News Reader

> Anxiety is one of my big vertigo trigfgers, and having this thing that will make sure my car is still going straight even during a vertigo attack

If it's serious to the point you don't know if you can keep the car going straight, how can you guarantee you can stop or react in other ways in an emergency? I don't see how this is OK, you shouldn't be driving.

> There are different regulations about driving with certain health conditions based on where you live. For example, South Carolina and Utah, USA do not have any stipulations about driving with a vestibular condition. However, US federal law requires that you stop driving until any vertigo attacks are controlled and well regulated.

https://vestibular.org/blog/should-you-drive-with-a-vestibul...

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Even when you "just" cannot guarantee that you can keep your car in your lane, you shouldn't be driving.

It’s the fear of a vestibular attack that gives me anxiety which causes a vestibular attack. These attacks last like two seconds. Having a thing that keeps me lane centered has stopped the vestibular attacks. If I have another big one I will definitely pull over.

I am disabled, unemployed, and live alone and have no other reliable access to transportation. What else am I supposed to do? Simply stop existing?

I am well aware that I am taking a huge risk. It is harm reduction. And as the main underlying issue is anxiety, simply having a safety net (or even the perception of a safety net) has significantly cut down on the anxiety.

either move in with someone else or get an ebike/scooter? you don't have a god given right to operate a 2000 pound death machine.

> I am well aware that I am taking a huge risk.

Right, but you're not just risking yourself here, mate. Please reconsider whether or not you should be operating heavy machinery.

At least you are aware that you are an increased risk every time you drive.

Which means when you do inevitably kill someone and ruin the lives of their friends and family you will be culpable and spend a long time in jail.

You are morally on par with a drink driver and deserve zero sympathy from anyone.

> I am well aware that I am taking a huge risk

You're not the one taking the main risk though: that would be the cyclists and pedestrians around you (as well as other motorists, to a lesser degree).

I appreciate the difficulty of your situation and I really don't want to be a judgemental jerk to you. But also ... yeah, based on what you've written this really doesn't sit well with me.

There's a reason people with things such as epileptic seizures are not permitted to drive unless they're 1) medicated for it, and 2) been free of seizures for a period of time to prove the medication works reliably.

I'm sorry you've been dealt a bad hand but please don't make it worse by risking other people's lives. You're not fit to drive, period. Your circumstances don't excuse this behaviour outside of an emergency.

All it’ll take is one crash - or someone requesting a DMV medical review.

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