Tips and falls during electric-powered wheelchair driving: effects of seatbelt use, legrests, and driving speed

Abstract

Objective: To measure the response of a test dummy while traversing common obstacles encountered by users of electric-powered wheelchairs (EPWs) to determine whether optimal wheelchair fit, use of seatbelts, and driving speed affect the frequency and severity of EPW tips and falls.

Design: Repeated-measures comparison study.

Setting: Constructed environment both in and around a Veterans Affairs medical center.

Participant: A 50th percentile Hybrid II anthropometric test dummy (ATD) was used to simulate a person driving an EPW.

Interventions: The ATD was driven in 4 different EPWs over commonly encountered obstacles at speeds of 1 and 2m/s, with and without the use of a seatbelt, and at varying legrest heights.

Main outcome measures: The response and motion of the ATD were observed and recorded as no fall, loss of control (the ATD falls forward or sideways but remains in the EPW), the ATD falls out of the EPW, or the EPW tips completely.

Results: A total of 97 adverse events out of 1700 trials were recorded: 88 were losses of control (instability) and 9 were ATD falls. No complete tips of any EPW occurred. Univariate statistical analysis indicated a significant relationship between the adverse events and the use of seatbelts, legrest condition, and test obstacles (P<.05). A mixed-model analysis confirmed the significant relationships between the adverse events and the use of seatbelts, legrest condition, and test obstacles (P<.05). However, the mixed model indicated that (1) there was no significant relationship between the adverse events and driving speed and (2) no one obstacle was designated to be the most problematic.

Conclusion: Persons who use EPWs should use seatbelts and legrests while driving their EPWs, and clinicians should include common driving tasks when assessing the proper set-up of EPWs.