How many seats in a wheelchair vehicle
When looking to buy a wheelchair accessible vehicle one aspect which first time buyers often don’t think about is how many non-wheelchair passengers you may need to carry and therefore how many seats they are likely to need.
In this article we’ll be giving you some points to consider when buying a wheelchair passenger vehicle so that you get a vehicle that can accommodate everyone you need.
The driver is a passenger
When counting the number of seats, you should assume that the total number of seats advertised includes the driver.
How many regular passengers?
This is a key question you need to ask yourself.
How many people will you need to transport in the vehicle on a day to day basis?
Is it just the driver and a wheelchair user or does it also include a carer?
If the vehicle is used as a dedicated transport you are probably certain of how many people will need to be in the vehicle at any one time.
Will this be a family car?
For those that use a wheelchair accessible vehicle as their family car. The number of seats you need becomes a little more complicated. Obviously the absolute minimum number of seats should be able to accommodate your family including the wheelchair passenger.
However, you also need to think about occassions when you may need to drive your children plus their friends – will that require additional seats.
Many who use a WAV, choose to get one with flexible seating so when the wheelchair user isn’t on board there is room for a couple of extra passengers.
Will you use the wheelchair vehicle to go on holiday?
This might be less a question of seats and more a question of space. Is there enough room for all your luggage if all the seats are taken?
If you have empty seats – can they be folded out of the way to allow space for more luggage.
If the wheelchair user isn’t on board can that space be used for luggage?
Some WAVs have a ramp which fold back down into the vehicle so that they can be used as a storage area.
Does the wheelchair user need constant care?
Many larger WAVs tend to have a single seat at the rear which is located next to the wheelchair passenger.
Standard WAVs usually have the wheelchair on it’s own behind the rear seats or (depending on available space and wheelchair size) in between the two rear seats.
The location of the rear setas will be a personal choice and dependent on your specific needs.
Can I specify the number of seats in a WAV?
If you are buying a new WAV – you may be able to specify how many seats you want – but this will obviously be limited by the size and conversion type of the vehicle.
At WavsGB we sell used wheelchair vehicles and these generally fall into 3, 4 or 5 seat variants – with occasional vehicles with more seats. In some instances we can add additional seats if there is enough space or remove a seat if it is not required.
If you need any help, advice or would like to try a vehicle for yourself please get in touch with us.
