Independent
Living Home > Legislation > Safe Transportation
of Wheelchairs
Medical Devices Agency
Guidance on the Safe Transportation of Wheelchairs
General safety guidelines for wheelchair/user transportation
• Wheelchair users should transfer to vehicle seats whenever possible.
• Wheelchair users should not travel with the wheelchair at an angle or facing sideways.
• There should be sufficient free space around the wheelchair and user to avoid the user making contact with other vehicle occupants, unpadded parts of the vehicle, wheelchair accessories or WTORS (wheelchair tie-down and occupant restraint system) anchor points.
• Wheelchairs should have their parking brakes applied and their power units switched off during vehicle movement. Powered wheelchairs should not be left in freewheel mode.
• Wheelchairs should not block gangways and exits for other passengers in the vehicle.
• A headrest should be provided for a wheelchair user when travelling in a vehicle where other seated passsengers have headrests.
WTORS (wheelchair tie-down and occupant restraint system)
• Wheelchair users should not travel in cars, taxis or minibuses, unless the wheelchair is tied down and the user is appropriately restrained.
• Sufficient WTORS should be carried to allow safe transportation of the intended wheelchair-seated passengers (one type of WTORS is unlikely to accommodate all types of wheelchairs and users).
• Consideration should be given tot he most suitable type and positioning of restraint for the user, both in normal travel and during an impact.
• Lap and chest belts attached to wheelchairs or seating units are usually provided to assist posture and are not vehicle occupant restraints.
• Using a lap belt as the only occupant restraint during travel is not recommended.
• The user restraint should have a clear path from the user to the anchor point and should not be interfered with by any part of the vehicle, wheelchair, seating or accessory.
Seating units
• Seating units require an appropriate fixture or interface to the wheelchair when being transported.
• Seating units should incorporate a headrest or allow the use of a separate headrest.
Accessories
• Accessories for use during transportation should be adequately secured to the wheelchair and may require padding to avoid user contact in normal vehicle movement or in an impact. If this is not possible, they should be removed to avoid potential contact with the user or other passengers in an impact.
Transporting wheelchairs, etc, unoccupied
• If the wheelchair is to be transported as luggage, restraining straps may be required to stop it contacting the user or other passengers during normal vehicle movement or in an impact.
• Scooters should always be transported unoccupied, unless the manufacturer has provided specific instructions for occupied transportation.
Maintenance
• Wheelchairs should be regularly maintained. Function and tyre pressures should be frequently checked in line with the manufacturer's guidance.
• Puncture-proof tyres should be considered to reduce tyre pressure and brake problems for wheelchair users.
Vehicle impact
• Wheelchairs and seating units involved in a vehicle impact should not be used again until checked by the manufacturer or his approved repair agent.
• Older wheelchairs may not have been designed to withstand the forces generated during a vehicle impact when used as a seat in a vehicle. However in practice they appear to work well and few incidents have been reported.
The information here is taken from the MDA Bulletin "Safe Transportation
of Wheelchairs". For more detailed information, you can visit the
Medical Devices Agency website, www.medical-devices.gov.uk
