The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) is seeking comments on a new paper: Position on WC19 Wheelchairs Designed and Tested for Use as Seats in Motor Vehicles.
In the June 20 announcement, RESNA said it would accept public comments until July 21. The organization has also provided a comments template, adding, “All interested parties are encouraged to review the paper and provide appropriate comments and feedback.”
The authors of the white paper are Patricia Karg, MSE; Miriam Manary, MSE; Lawrence Schneider, Ph.D.; Christian Mongrain, PT, DPT, HEM; and Douglas Cross, BS. WC19 refers to RESNA’s “Wheelchairs Used as Seats in Motor Vehicles” standard found in RESNA volume 4, section 19.
In explaining the problems with wheelchairs being used as seating in motor vehicles — i.e., when the wheelchair rider stays in the wheelchair during transport rather than transferring into a vehicle seat — the paper said, “In situations where the wheelchair must function as a seat within a motor vehicle, serious concerns arise. Transportation safety and occupant crash-protection studies have shown that, in addition to occupant restraint systems such as seatbelts and airbags, the seat used by the occupant is an important part of an occupant-protection system (Digges et al., 1993; Lovsund et al., 1993; Lundell et al, 1981; MacLaughlin et al., 1988; Severy et al, 1976; States, 1980).
“For this reason, it is important that wheelchairs used as seats in motor vehicles are designed and tested to perform in a manner comparable to the seats installed by the original vehicle manufacturer (OEM).”
The paper added that wheelchairs need to be secured effectively enough within vehicles to withstand “emergency maneuvers, such as sudden stopping and turning, and particularly in crash situations.” Wheelchairs need to be relatively easy to secure, and securement systems cannot interfere with the use of shoulder belt restraint systems for the wheelchair riders.
When wheelchairs are used as seating in motor vehicles, RESNA’s position includes the beliefs that manufacturers of wheelchairs likely to be used as seating in motor vehicles should provide WC19-compliant versions on request; that manufacturers should proactively market and promote WC19-compliant products and how they can reduce injury risk in motor vehicle crashes; and that rehabilitation and RESNA-credentialed professionals should know transportation safety best practices and should be familiar with products that comply with RESNA’s transportation standards.
