Before installing and using the combined wheelchair & occupant restraint
• Ensure that the wheelchair is correctly maintained and that the settings of any adjustable parts are made
according to ‘Instructions for Use in Transport’.
• Whenever possible remove any items of luggage etc that may be attached to the wheelchair and secure
or store separately during transport in order to reduce the potential for injury to other passengers
travelling in the vehicle.
• Extra care must be exercised when using vehicle boarding aids such as passenger lifts or ramps during
the loading process. Refer to ‘Instructions For Use’ for information on safe slopes.
• Position the wheelchair facing forward - centrally in the designated region of the vehicle.
Ensure the
wheelchair brakes are applied.
• To minimise the potential for head injuries in an impact, allow a clear space of at least 400 mm behind
and 650 mm, (FCZ, front clear zone), in front of the head of the wheelchair user, (Fig A). The shoulder
belt anchorage must be roof or side-wall anchored at a height level such that the belt webbing passes
over the midpoint of the occupant shoulder and at a height that is at or just above the level of the
occupants shoulders so as not to impose downward loads on the spine.
• A height provision (HHT) ranging from 1000mm to 1550mm should be made, depending on the size
of the passenger. There should also be 200 mm of clear space either side of the wheelchair centre line.
If these clear space dimensions cannot be provided then any should be adequately padded and comply
with impact performance requirements of ECE Regulation 21 ‘FMVSS 201’. All vehicle padding should
comply with the flammability require ments of ECE Regulation 118 ‘FMVSS 302’.
Note: seated head
height (HHT)
ranges from as low
as 1000mm for a
6-year-old child to
1550mm for a tall
adult.
8
Combined retractable tie-downs with 2 & 3 point occupant restraints
Wheelchair & occupant restraint
