Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Jan 5;13(1):e0186829.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186829. eCollection 2018.

Wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint practices in paratransit vehicles

Karen Frost  1 , Gina Bertocci  1 , Craig Smalley  1
Affiliations

Wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint practices in paratransit vehicles

Karen Frost et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to characterize wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS) usage in paratransit vehicles based on observations of wheelchair and scooter (wheeled mobility devices, collectively, "WhMD") passenger trips. A retrospective review of on-board video monitoring recordings of WhMD trips was conducted. Four hundred seventy-five video recordings were collected for review and analysis. The use of all four tiedowns to secure the WhMD was observed more frequently for power WhMDs (82%) and manual WhMDs (80%) compared to scooters (39%), and this difference was significant (p< 0.01). Nonuse or misuse of the occupant restraint system occurred during 88% of WhMD trips, and was most frequently due to vehicle operator neglect in applying the shoulder belt. Despite the absence of incidents or injuries in this study, misuse and nonuse of WTORS potentially place WhMD seated passengers at higher risk of injury during transit. These findings support the need for improved vehicle operator training and passenger education on the proper use of WTORS and development of WTORS with improved usability and/or alternative technologies that can be automated or used independently.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS).
WTORS consisting of two tiedowns securing the front of the wheelchair, two tiedowns securing the rear of the wheelchair, and including both a lap and shoulder belt for occupant restraint (color figure available online).
Fig 2
Fig 2. Sample images of WhMD securement station from video surveillance system (AngelTrax®).
(A) Overhead view, (B) floor level view.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Summary of wheelchair tiedown usage.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Wheelchair tiedown usage for manual WhMDs.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Wheelchair tiedown usage for power WhMDs.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Wheelchair tiedown usage for scooters.
Fig 7
Fig 7. Summary of occupant restraint usage.
Fig 8
Fig 8
Fig 9
Fig 9
Fig 10
Fig 10
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Shaw G. Wheechair rider risk in motor vehicles: a technical note. J Rehab Res Develop. 2000;37:89–100. - PubMed
    1. Transportation Research Board. TCRP Synthesis 50: Use of rear-facing position for common wheelchairs on transit buses. Washington DC,2003.
    1. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Pub. L. No. 101–136.
    1. Frost KL, Bertocci G, Salipur Z. Wheelchair securement and occupant restraint system (WTORS) practices in public transit buses. Assistive Technology. 2013;25:16–23. doi: 10.1080/10400435.2012.680660 - DOI - PubMed
    1. ANSI/RESNA. Section 18—Wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint systems for use in motor vehicles. in ANSI/RESNA WC-4:2012, American National Standard for Wheelchairs, Vol 4—Wheelchairs and Transportation. Dec 2012.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources