Motorized Wheelchair Safety: A Check On Who Should Use A Motorized Wheelchair And How

Motorized wheelchair safety is of great importance to everyone using a motorized wheelchair. A person suffering from poor vision or who is susceptible to sudden seizures or fainting spells is advised not to use such a mobility device. In addition, to ensure proper motorized wheelchair safety, users must make full use of safety belts and straps and there should be at least two straps available – one that straps the occupant to the chair and the other one to secure the upper section of the body to the wheelchair's backrest.

No Paraplegics

Another aspect to ensuring proper motorized wheelchair safety is that paraplegics should not use such mobility devices and in fact only those who are in good health are fit and active should use a motorized wheelchair. On the other hand, an amputee who has missing arms and/or legs can safely use a motorized wheelchair provided the control devices are made in a manner to facilitate use by such people.

Another aspect to motorized wheelchair safety is ensuring that the motorized wheelchair has mechanically operated brakes that are able to be set and even released by the occupant of the mobility device –whether through hand operation or through dynamic braking.

The configuration of the front wheels is also an important motorized wheelchair safety factor that needs to be addressed seriously. For motorized wheelchairs being used in the outdoors, there is need to have large wheels (powered) in front and at the same time there should never be any free-swinging casters, which are suitable only for indoor use.

There should also be user arm-stabilization, especially when the occupant of the motorized wheelchair has impairment in his or her arms or whose hand functioning is compromised. There should also be safety shut off as well as braking controls provided for users, especially those that need to use mouth, or breath or other type of hand controls.

When traversing slopes and inclines, motorized wheelchair safety is a very important consideration and the user must be made to realize that traveling across an incline is prohibited; rather steering up or down the incline is the proper way to traverse an incline.

The motorized power wheelchair is well suited for outdoor operations; though, before using such a mobility device, ensure that you are belted for safety, and also makes sure to use wheelie bars in case the unit is equipped with them.

Other motorized wheelchair safety issues are those that relate to avoiding obstacles on the ground, keeping batteries fully charged and having a device with which to call for help whenever help is required.