Seatbelts are a necessary part of any good wheelchair, because persons using them who lack mobility and coordination often can't control where their bodies are thrown if the chair hits a bump or if the vehicle they're riding in has an accident. Falling out of a wheelchair is an accident waiting to happen without good, secure seatbelts. In addition, these belts must be well-fitted and comfortable. If you've ever driven for a long period of time wearing a seatbelt, you may have started to feel some discomfort in the area where the belt rubs across your shoulder. Now imagine wearing a wheelchair seatbelt for 14 hours a day every day, and you'll see why comfort is such an important issue.
As with all types of seatbelts, wheelchair belts are designed for the safety of the user. Often chairs are fitted with intricate harnesses that keep the person's body in place even though his or her muscles are too weak to do so. Other safety features include easy-to-reach push button opening, non slip fabrics, and heavy duty nylon construction. These belts are made in different lengths so that everyone can find something that fits comfortably and snugly without being too tight.
Ironically, while most states have laws about securing wheelchairs during travel, such as in a van or bus, the majority have no laws requiring the person in the chair to be strapped in. That means that if the vehicle stops suddenly, the person can go flying out of the chair. The only states that have laws protecting wheelchair riders are Arkansas, Georgia, Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin. While it may be only common sense that the individual be securely strapped into the chair during transport, too often this isn't the case. In a recent study of 52 accidents involving wheelchairs strapped to the floor of a vehicle, most riders were not wearing seatbelts and sustained unnecessary injuries.
One of the reasons given for having laws requiring that patients in wheelchairs to have the chairs strapped down but no restraint on the person is because they want to treat the disabled no differently than any other person riding on a bus. While in many instances this is an admirable thought, it is definitely not in the best interest of the individual in a transport situation, and more insightful laws need to be made that ensure their protection by requiring that they wear a wheelchair seatbelt every time they are in a vehicle.
