*** Security advice for wheel chair users ***

Security advice for wheel chair users.
International information.

Driving and manoeuvring safely - Bassic rules.



GENERAL ADVICE ABOUT SAFETY WHEN DRIVING:
EVERY WHEEL CHAIR USSER MUST BE FASTENED BY ANY NECESSARY SYSTEM DEPENDING ON EACH SITUATION: Nonslipping cushion, adjustable arm support, suitable back, head or seat-belt.

 

 
WHEN GOIN UP OR DOWN ANY SLOPE, YOU MUSTN´T DO IT NEITHER DIAGONALLY NOR TURNING AROUND. Bending your body towards the highest side of the slope to avoid rising chair risk.

 

 
PRECAUTION AT HIGH SLOPES AND PLAIN OR WET PAVIMENT DUE TO THE DANGER OF SLIDING AND UNCONTROLLING THE CHAIR. ASK FOR PREVENTIVE HELP TO SOMEBODY WHEN NOT FEELING SAFE TO GO: Goin up a step or margin / Getting on any means of transport / walking along unfirm roads / Going up difficult areas or unsecure ones.

 
YOUR NEED TO INSTALATE ANTIOVERTURN WHEELS IN ALL THE WHEEL CHAIRS.

 

 

WHEN WALKING ALONG EDGES OR ROADS, BE VERY CAREFUL AND ALWAIS ON THE LEFT WAY «Righ Way in United Kingdom», and as far as possible, wearing reflecting clothes or tools.

 

 
INSTALLATING REFLECTING SIGN ON THE WHEEL CHAIR TO BE VISIBLE THESE SIGNS SHOULD BE PUT WHEN GOING CLOSE TO ROADS IN THE DARKNESS. Lights and reflecting tools must always be white at the front, red at the back and yellow in both sides of the chair.

 

PICTURELESS WHEELS SHOULD BE INSTALATED. They offer you quietness in order not to have sudden punctures.

 

 
IT IS VERY USEFUL TO CARRY A SMALL BOX WITH THE MOST REQUIRED TOOLS FOR AN EMERGENCY OR BASSIC REPARATION. For example: A nut is loosened.

 

 
YOU MUST ALWAYS BRING WITH YOU A MOBILE PHONE IN CASE OF BREAKDOWN OR EMERGENCY. If so, you had better phone: Civil Protection the Red Cross, city police force or other police agent in the area.

 


SOME SECURITY ADVICE ON MEANS OF TRANSPORT.
ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTS, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS USE THE SLOPES CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY.

 

 

WHEN GETTING ON OR OFF A BUS BY A RAMP, always you have to do it at a limited speed and be very carefull. Wheen going along the ramp, you must not turn nor drive across. If the ramp, wheen getting off, is very hanging, you should ask the bus-driver or any other passenger to get on or off saffely, you must not get on or off without any held at all if you do not feel sure or if the ramp is too rising.
 

 
YOU SHOULD AVOID WAITING AT BUS-STOPS IN WICH THE BUS CAN NOT GET CLOSER EASILY TO THE PAVIMENT TO BRING THE RAMP OUT.

 

 
WHEN GETTING ON A TRAIN OR HIGH BUSES THROUGH LIFT, be very careful and before starting, follow always the responsable autority´s orders.

 

 
DO NOT TRY TO GET ON NOR OFF ANY UNDERGROUND CARRIAGE WITHOUT ANY HELP, if they do not have a suitable system for it. Ask any other person for help and try to get on THROUGH THE CLOSEST DOOR TO THE DRIVER.

 

WHEN TRAVELLING ON ANY PUBLIC TRANSPORT, STAY AT THE RIGHT CHAIR-PLACE AND BEFORE STARTING THE JOURNEY, FASTEN YOUR SEAT-BELT. Asking for help, if you cannot do it by yourself, of the STEADY-FITTING OF THE CHAIR for those situations in which it is requiered.

 

IF YOU SOMETIMES TRAVEL ON A PUBLIC TRANSPORT WITHOUT SEAT-BELTS, youshould fix the chair in order not to move or displace by accident or casuality.

 


FURTHER ADVICE ABOUT ELECTRONIC-ENGINE WHEEL CHAIRS.
FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TOLD BY THE MAKER relating to a proper use and preservation of the chair.

 

 
DO NOT HANDLE THE ENGINE MECHANICAL SYSTEMS and take it to official workshops, for this type of machines, for its reparation or even maintenance and revisions in time which should take place every two years or so.

 

TRY ALWAYS TO GO WHEAR THE CHAIR CAN MAKE IT BY ITSELF. Avoid always to be lifted up or down because the mechanical systems may be damaged in such situations. DUE TO ITS HUGE WEIGHT, IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO MANIPULATE IT HANDY USING THE HANDBOOK. This is a high risk for the usser.

 

When your need TO GO CLOSER TO ANY UNEVENNESS, SWITH THE CHAIR OFF OR SLOW DOWN to avoid any cassual movement.

 

 
YOU MUST NOT GO UP ANY SLOPE WITH YOUR SEAT LEANED BACK.It´s better in such a situation to place it in a 90 grade angle according to the seat, which cannot be leaned back either.

 

 
DO NOT GO UP NOR DOWN STEPS WHICH ARE NO MORE THAN 6 CM HIGH, if you have to make it, go slowly and carefully. If you do not feel sure, you must not do it by yourself and ask any other person for help. Always use the lift-up steps system if there is one. NEITHER GO UP OR DOWN ACROSS NOR TURN AROUND DURING THE MANOEUVRING.

 

IF THERE ARE CHILDREN AROUND, pay attention and always try to switch the engine off or slow down. If the chair is left alone, the starter should be blockaded, so that nobody can start it because somebody can get badly hurt.

 


SOME GENERAL AND POLITE ADVICE.
EVERIBODY SHOULD BEHAVE IN A CIVIC WAY LIKE ANY OTHER PERSON AND SO, follow the same driving rules as any pedestrian, but we should be more careful, cautious and polite than any disabled person.

 

 
Drive slowly at crowded areas and pay attention not to damage children, old-aged people, disabled or blind ones.

 

 


IS AUTHORIZED THE DISTRIBUTION AND REPRODUCTION OF THIS DOCUMENT.

 

This is an document realized for:
Enrique González Blanco. Author of the ABEDUL project.
Technical Specialist in Civil Construction (buildings, urbanisme & others).
Wheelchair user. (My special gratefulness at Juana Calanda Academy).
June of 2003. (Updated in 2012).