One of the more frequent questions we are asked is “can you carry a wheelchair in a car?”, usually followed by “can the wheelchair passenger stay in the wheelchair while it’s in the car?”
The answer to both is yes… provided you have a car modified to carry a wheelchair.
Finding out a family member or loved one needs a wheelchair, short or long term, can be a stressful experience and if you’ve never had to transport a wheelchair before then it can be confusing about what to do next or what vehicle is best for your needs.
Carrying a wheelchair and a passenger in a car
For many people the best and easiest option for transporting a wheelchair user is to use a wheelchair accessible vehicle. A wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) is a regular car/MPV or van which has been converted to allow a wheelchair to be boarded and secured in place without having to transfer the wheelchair user to another seat.
There are a number of different types of (WAV) but they almost all involve loading the wheelchair into the vehicle by a ramp (or lift)
How to load a wheelchair onto a vehicle
- Open the tailgate
- Carefully lower the ramp
- Line the wheelchair up at the bottom of the ramp
- If the vehicle has a winch attach to the wheelchair and activate
- Otherwise carefully push the wheelchair on board
- Be careful to look out for the wheelchair passengers head, arm and legs as they are pushed/pulled up the ramp
- Put the wheelchair brakes on
- Attach the front and rear restraints to the wheelchair
- Secure the user with the dedicated seat belt
- Make sure everything/one is secure, and the passenger is comfortable
- Raise the ramp and close the tailgate
If you followed the above steps the wheelchair will be in the correct secure position and you can now begin your journey.
Some wheelchair vehicles have ramps at the rear, the side and even in the front (for front passengers) but the process is very similar for each type.
Carrying a passenger with a separate wheelchair in a car
The process detailed above is for wheelchair accessible vehicles, but if your wheelchair user is able to transfer from the wheelchair into the seat then there may be other options.
- A standard car
If the wheelchair user is able to transfer into a regular car seat then they may be able to use a normal car – provided the wheelchair will fold down and fit into the boot - A modified standard car
If the wheelchair user can sit in a normal car seat, but is not able or strong enough to transfer into the seat on their own then a transfer assist system can be fitted. The wheelchair will fold down and fit into the boot. Find out more about wheelchair transfer and lift systems from autochair - A WAV with transfer seat
Some wheelchair accessible vehicles also have a transfer seat fitted which can lower or tip to enable easy transfer, in addition to be able to take the wheelchair with or without a passenger in the rear.
Transporting a wheelchair using a car can seem daunting but we have a range of vehicles that are suitable for most use cases.
Click below to browse our vehicles or get in touch with us for specific advice.
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