www.travelsafer.org
www.rercwts.org
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W
hen traveling in a motor vehicle,
it is generally safest for wheelchair users to
transfer to a vehicle seat and use the vehicle seatbelt system or a child safety seat that complies
with federal safety standards. The wheelchair should then be stored and secured in the vehicle.
If transferring is not feasible, it is very important to secure the wheelchair to the vehicle facing forward and
to use crash-tested seatbelts for the wheelchair-seated rider.
START WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
The Wheelchair
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It is best if you have a wheelchair that has been designed and
tested for use as a seat in motor vehicles, often referred to as a WC19
wheelchair or a transit wheelchair. These wheelchairs comply with
ANSI/RESNA WC19, a voluntary standard developed by safety and
rehabilitation experts. Wheelchairs that meet the design and
performance requirements of this standard will be labeled to
show that they comply with WC19.
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Most importantly, a WC19 wheelchair
has four, crash-tested securement points
where tiedown straps and hooks can be easily
attached. These points are clearly marked
with a hook symbol.
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If a WC19 wheelchair is not available,
the next best choice is a wheelchair with
an accessible metal frame where tiedown
straps and hooks can be attached at frame
junctions.
The Wheelchair Tiedown and
Occupant Restraint System (WTORS)
?
It is important to use a complete WTORS to
secure the wheelchair and provide the wheelchair
occupant with a properly designed and tested lap/
shoulder belt system.
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Always use a WTORS that has been crash
tested and labeled as complying with ANSI/RESNA
WC18 or SAE J2249, a voluntary standard developed
by safety and rehabilitation experts. The most common
type of wheelchair tiedown uses four straps to secure
the wheelchair to the vehicle. Although it requires
someone other than the wheelchair rider to secure and
release the wheelchair, this tiedown can secure a wide
range of WC19 and non-WC19 wheelchairs.
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To protect the rider during a crash or sudden
braking, and to minimize the likelihood of injury
caused by contact with the vehicle, a seatbelt system
with both lap and shoulder belts must be used.
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SECURE THE WHEELCHAIR
Four-Point Tiedowns
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Always position the wheelchair and rider facing forward in the vehicle.
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When securing a WC19 wheelchair, attach the four tiedown straps to the securement points provided
on the wheelchair. Tighten the straps to remove all slack.
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If you do not have a WC19 wheelchair, it is best to attach
the tiedown straps to welded junctions of the wheelchair frame or
to other structural areas where the frame is fastened together with
hardened steel bolts — indicated by six raised lines or bumps on the
bolt head.
?
Do not attach tiedowns to adjustable, moving, or removable parts of the
wheelchair such as armrests, footrests, and wheels.
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When securing non-WC19 wheelchairs, choose
structural securement points as close to the seat surface as possible
to provide greater wheelchair stability during travel. It is best if the rear
securement points are high enough to result in angles of the rear tiedown
straps between 30 and 45 degrees to the horizontal.
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If you have a non-WC19 wheelchair with a tilt seat, make sure to
attach both the front and rear straps to either the seat frame or to the base
frame. Mixing wheelchair securement points between the seat and base can
result in the tiedown straps becoming slack if the angle of the seat changes
during a crash.
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It is best if floor anchor points for rear tiedown straps are located
directly behind the rear securement points on the wheelchair. If possible,
the front tiedown straps should anchor to the floor at points that are spaced
wider than the wheelchair to increase lateral stability during travel.
Other Methods of Wheelchair Securement
?
In addition to securing wheelchairs using a four-point
tiedown, wheelchairs can also be secured using a docking
tiedown device. This method is primarily used in private
vehicles since it requires the addition of adaptor hardware to
the wheelchair frame that will engage with the docking tiedown
device in the vehicle. Docking securement devices allow the
wheelchair rider to secure and release the wheelchair without
assistance.
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If you plan to secure your wheelchair with a docking
tiedown device, you should check with the WTORS or wheelchair manufacturer to ensure that your
wheelchair model has been successfully crash tested with their system.
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Clamp-type securement devices are not recommended since they do not provide effective
wheelchair securement in frontal crash testing.
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PROTECT THE WHEELCHAIR RIDER
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In addition to securing the wheelchair, it is very important to provide effective restraint for
the wheelchair user with a crash-tested lap and shoulder belt or with a child restraint harness.
Postural support belts attached to the wheelchair are not strong enough to withstand crash forces and
are usually not positioned correctly to restrain the occupant safely in a crash.
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The lap belt should be placed low across the front of the pelvis
near the upper thighs, not high over the abdomen. When possible, the
lap belt should be angled between 45 and 75 degrees to the horizontal
when viewed from the side. Some wheelchair features, like armrests,
can interfere with good belt fit. To avoid placing the lap belt over the
armrest and to keep the lap belt low on the pelvis, it may be necessary
to insert the belt between the armrest and the seatback, or through
openings between the backrest and seat.
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A diagonal shoulder belt
should cross the middle of the shoulder and the center of the chest,
and should connect to the lap belt near the hip of the wheelchair
rider. The upper shoulder-belt anchor point or D-ring guide should be
anchored above and behind the top of the occupant’s shoulder, so that
the belt is in good contact with the shoulder and chest while traveling.
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Newer WC19 wheelchairs offer the option of a crash-tested lap
belt that is anchored to the wheelchair frame. If the wheelchair has
an onboard crash-tested lapbelt, complete the belt system by
attaching the lower end of a shoulder belt to the lap belt. Crash-
tested wheelchair-anchored lap belts will be labeled to indicate that
they comply with WC19.
Other Important Points
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Read and follow all manufacturers’ instructions.
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It is best to ride with the wheelchair backrest positioned at an angle of 30 degrees or less to the vertical. If a
greater recline angle is needed, the shoulder belt anchor point should be moved rearward along the vehicle
sidewall so the belt maintains contact with the rider’s shoulder and chest.
l
Maximize the clear space around the rider to reduce the possibility of contact with vehicle components and other
passengers in a crash. Cover rigid vehicle components that are close to the rider with dense padding.
l
Check wheelchair and WTORS equipment regularly and replace worn components. If involved in a vehicle crash,
check with the manufacturer to determine if the equipment needs to be replaced. Keep WTORS anchorage track
free of debris.
l
If possible, remove hard trays and secure them in the vehicle to reduce the chance of rider injury from contact
with the tray. Consider the use of foam trays instead of rigid trays during transit. If it is not possible to remove a
hard tray, place dense padding between the rider and the edge of the tray and make sure that the tray is securely
attached to the wheelchair so it will not break loose and cause injury to other occupants in a crash.
l
A properly positioned headrest may help protect the neck in a rear impact.
l
If it is necessary to use a head and neck support during travel, choose a soft, light, neck collar because stiff collars
and head straps are more likely to cause neck injury in a crash. The soft collar should not be attached to the
seating system.
l
Secure medical and other equipment to the wheelchair or vehicle to prevent it from breaking loose and causing
injuries in a crash.
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Seating systems can be crashed tested to ANSI/RESNA WC20 and then used with a WC19-compliant frame to
create a crashworthy wheelchair.
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Wheelchair and Seating Manufacturers
(Ask for Products that have been Successfully Tested to WC19 and/or WC20)
RESOURCES
Organizations
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on
Wheelchair Transportation Safety
www.rercwts.org
University of Michigan Transportation Research
Institute
www.umtri.umich.edu
University of Pittsburgh
www.wheelchairnet.org
RESNA Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive
Technology Society of North America
www.resna.org
Bergeron Health Care
www.specialtomato.com; 866-529-8407
Colours N Motion
www.colourswheelchair.com; 800-892-8998
Convaid
www.convaid.com; 888-266-8243
Freedom Designs
www.freedomdesigns.com; 800-331-8551
Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare
www.gillettechildrens.org; 800-719-4040
Gunnell
www.gunnell-inc.com; 800-551-0055
Hoveround
www.hoveround.com; 800-542-7236
Innovative Products
www.mobility4kids.com; 800-950-5185
Invacare
www.invacare.com; 800-333-6900
Kids Up
www.kidsupco.com; 877-454-3787
Ki Mobility
www.kimobility.com; 800-981-1540
Metalcraft Industries
www.metalcraft-industries.com; 888-399-3232
Motion Concepts
www.motionconcepts.com; 888-433-6818
Mulholland Postioning Systems
www.mulhollandinc.com; 800-543-4769
Otto Bock
www.ottobock.com; 800-328-4058
Performance Health Products
www.v-trak.com; 866-632-1755
Permobil
www.permobil.com; 800-736-0925
Pride Mobility
www.pridemobility.com; 800-800-8586
Product Design Group
www.pdgmobility.com; 888-858-4422
Sammons Preston
www.sammonspreston.com; 800-323-5547
Stealth Products
www.stealthproducts.com; 800-965-9229
Sunrise Medical
www.sunrisemedicalonline.com; 800-333-4000
Tilite
www.tilite.com; 800-545-2266
Varalite
www.varalite.com; 800-827-4548
Wheelchair Tiedown and Occupant Restraint Manufacturers
(Ask for Products that Comply with WC18 or SAE J2249)
EZ-Lock
www.ezlock.net; 225-214-4620
New Haven
www.safehaven-usa.com; 800-421-8700
Orthosafe
www.orthosafe.com; 609-587-9444
Q’Straint
www.qstraint.com; 800-987-9987
SureLok
www.sure-lok.com; 866-787-3565
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Anchor point: The location on a vehicle, wheelchair, or wheelchair tiedown where a belt-restraint or
wheelchair-tiedown anchorage is attached.
ANSI/RESNA WC18 (officially SECTION 18 RESNA WC-4:2010): A voluntary standard that specifies design
and performance requirements for WTORS. NOTE: ISO 10542 is an international standard that is comparable
with WC18 and SAE J2249.
ANSI/RESNA WC19 (officially SECTION 19 RESNA WC-4:2010): A voluntary standard for wheelchairs
designed for use as a seat when traveling in a motor vehicle. NOTE: ISO 7176-19 is an international wheelchair
standard that is comparable with WC19.
ANSI/RESNA WC20 (officially SECTION 20 RESNA WC-4:2010): A voluntary standard for wheelchair
seating systems designed or used as part of a wheelchair when traveling in a motor vehicle.
NOTE: ISO 16840-4 is an international wheelchair standard that is comparable with WC20.
SAE Recommended Practice J2249: A Society of Automotive Engineers Recommended Practice that
specifies design and performance requirements for WTORS. NOTE: WC18 is an enhanced version of this
standard and ISO 10542 is a similar international standard.
Belt: A length of energy-absorbing webbing material used in occupant restraint systems.
Docking tiedown: A method for securing wheelchairs where portions of the wheelchair frame, or add-on
components fastened to the wheelchair frame, engage with a securement device anchored to the vehicle.
Four-point strap-type tiedown: A method for securing a wheelchair where four straps are attached to the
wheelchair at four separate securement points and attached to the vehicle at four separate anchor points.
Occupant restraint: A system or device designed to restrain a motor vehicle occupant in a crash by keeping
the occupant in the vehicle seat and minimizing contact with the vehicle interior, other occupants, or objects
outside the vehicle.
Postural support: A padded component and/or belt used to help maintain a person in a desired position during
normal wheelchair use. In general postural supports are not designed to provide effective occupant restraint in
a motor vehicle crash.
Securement points: Specific structural points on the wheelchair base or seat frame that are designed for
attachment of wheelchair tiedowns.
Strap: A length of webbing material used in wheelchair tiedown systems.
WC19 wheelchair: A crash-tested wheelchair with four clearly identified securement points that meets the
design and performance requirements of ANSI/RESNA WC19 and is sometimes called a transit wheelchair.
WC20 seating system: A crash-tested seating system and its attachment hardware that meets the design
and performance requirements of ANSI/RESNA WC20 and is used with a WC19 compliant frame to create a
crashworthy wheelchair.
Wheelchair tiedown and occupant-restraint system (WTORS): A complete system for use by wheelchair-
seated occupants comprised of a system or device for securing the wheelchair and a belt-type restraint system
for limiting occupant movement in a motor vehicle crash.
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheelchair Transportation Safety
University of Michigan Health System
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
Initially funded through a grant from the FRIENDS of the University of Michigan Hospitals
2010
U
niversity
of
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ichigan