How Do Wheelchair Securing Straps Work?

There are different types of wheelchair securing straps for securing a wheelchair inside an adapted vehicle, but the principal of them all is the same. Regardless of which type of system you have in your vehicle there will also be a 3-point safety seatbelt – just like you have in a car but this will be slightly longer to reach around the wheelchair passenger and clip in.

The restraint system consists of four securing straps, two in the front and two in the back. Each strap/restraint is bolted through the chassis of the adapted vehicle and will fix onto the structure of your wheelchair at suitable locations. Each strap is very similar to a seatbelt; with webbed material to provide strength and will be checked as part of an MOT to ensure that they work correctly. Each belt is also fully adjustable as not every wheelchair; person or vehicle is the same.

So some vehicles will have manual belts and there will be a mechanism on each strap to allow the belts to be pulled free to reach the desired length to attach to the wheelchair. They may need to be manually tightened (like a ratchet strap) or the belt will automatically lock into position and stop the wheelchair from moving. Then clip the 3-point seatbelt around the wheelchair occupant.

There will be other wheelchair adapted vehicles that have electric belts in the front – operated via a switch, these types of straps will be easy to pull out to the back of the ramp (once turned on) attach to the appropriate two front points of the wheelchair. Then once the switch is turned off, as you push the wheelchair inside the vehicle, they will continually lock into place until you have reached the required position in the adapted vehicle. Then simply use the two rear belts and attach to the wheelchair and tighten as required.

The fastenings on each wheelchair straps may also be different, some have seatbelt like catches, some have heavy duty metal hooks and some even have carabineer. Although different, their aim is the same, to provide safety to all occupants inside the vehicle, they also offer stability to the wheelchair occupant whilst your adapted vehicle is in motion.

Even after you have purchased an adapted vehicle from us, feel free to get in touch with any questions you have about the securing system in your particular vehicle. When you take delivery or collect your wheelchair adapted vehicle from us we will ensure that you have understood how to use the restraints. We advise that you periodically check the securing straps in your adapted vehicle and treat them with respect. Once in a while use a vacuum or bristle brush to remove any dirt or stones from the around the securing straps housing – a wheelchair that comes inside the vehicle, will bring all sorts of debris with it, so it is worthwhile getting out the hoover. A spray of WD40 can help with the lubrication of mechanisms and keep rust at bay.

If there is any doubt about the safety or condition of any belt we, at Mobility Disabled, will replace it. All belts supplied by the manufacturer undergo stringent testing and obtain certification for their safety so we must reiterate how important it is that the wheelchair securing system is used - the consequences of NOT using the wheelchair straps does not bear thinking about.

If you have any questions about wheelchair securing straps, please get in touch below