If you travel by car and use a wheelchair, you’ll need a way to transport your chair. Transporting a wheelchair in a car, on the other hand, can be challenging. To help, there are various options for securely transporting a wheelchair on or in an automobile.
The type of wheelchair you use and the vehicle you’re driving will determine the best form of transportation to use. It’s also essential to consider the wheelchair user’s needs.
Wheelchair transportation is a long-term investment with numerous solutions to meet the demands of each user. Here are some helpful ways to transport wheelchairs
How to Transport a Wheelchair On a Car
Consider the following solutions if your wheelchair is too large to fit in the trunk or behind the seats of your automobile. This could be the case if you’re transporting a power or electric wheelchair, for instance.
Outside Auto Lift
Generally, a vehicle lift raises wheelchairs either into or onto the car and then lowers them back out. Outside lifts are mounted to the back of the car like a rack and have a platform that ascends and descends at the push of a button.
Outside lifts require that you lower the platform to the ground, drive or push the wheelchair onto it, and secure the wheelchair with straps. Then, raise the platform off the ground for transport.
This type of vehicle lift is a great option for electric wheelchairs because it doesn’t require taking the chair apart. However, you’ll likely need a truck, van, or SUV to make the most of a lift like this.
Note that while vehicle lifts are convenient, they are also one of the most expensive modes of transportation for a wheelchair.
Trailer
A small trailer that mounts to the rear of a car is another reliable mode of transport for wheelchairs, especially power wheelchairs. You must ensure that a trailer can accept the overall weight of the chair.
To use a trailer, you’ll need a car with a trailer hitch capable of supporting the trailer’s weight and the weight of the wheelchair you’ll be transporting. A portable wheelchair ramp may also be required to get the wheelchair out of the trailer safely.
Tie the wheelchair down and lock the brakes to prevent it from sliding about. That secures the wheelchair in the trailer. You’ll also want to double-check the wiring on the trailer to ensure safety with turn signals and brake lights
Using a trailer to move an electric wheelchair has several advantages, including that it does not require disassembly.
Wheelchair Carrier Rack
The rack’s appeal is that it is a system that can be used for most types of automobiles. Although wheelchairs come in various sizes, they may be collapsed or broken down and mounted on the rack without difficulty.
After everything is in place, you can secure the wheelchair by hooking it onto the rack or using a bar to keep it in place while tightening with wing nuts.
Racks are available in different styles, and they can be either manual or automated. Here are some basic types of wheelchair carrier racks
Automatic Car-Top Rack
An automated hoist lifts and folds up the wheelchair. This kind of wheelchair carrier is attached to the vehicle’s roof. This is an excellent choice for folks who require additional interior space in their car or cannot physically lift their chair.
This design is only suitable for manual chairs and cannot lift massive power chairs. It’s also crucial to evaluate your vehicle’s dimensions, as the carrier may be too heavy or extensive for your car.
Bumper Rack
The bumper-mounted carrier is a simple type for use with a manual wheelchair. Using this rack may INVOLVE seeking assistance because you need to fold and lift the wheelchair onto the bumper rack manually.
The downside of this method is that the bumper-mounted carrier makes it more challenging to get into the trunk. If your car has a molded bumper, the rack will require you to drill holes in the fender. If you decide to remove the carrier in the future, the holes can be sealed.
Rack with Hitch
Many wheelchair users choose the hitch-mounted rack because it is convenient and affordable. It can be mounted to any existing drawbar or ball mount on your vehicle’s back. The carrier lowers down to load the wheelchair, then raises to lock it in place.
Some are manual, while others are automatic, so you want to pick the one that best meets your demands and budget. The majority of racks with a hitch also give you convenient access to the car’s trunk.
How to Transport a Wheelchair In a Car
Manual wheelchairs can easily be transported in a car in most cases. However, some methods of wheelchair transfer still work with electric wheelchairs too.
Keeping It in the Trunk
The simplest method of transporting a wheelchair into a vehicle is to fold it up and place it in the trunk or, if space allows, in the backseat.
If your car has a luggage compartment, the wheelchair may also fit there. A carrying case is included with certain manual wheelchairs as a safety feature to prevent damaging the wheelchair.
Wheelchair Accessible Van
Many vans can be adapted to make them accessible to power wheelchairs. A remote control opens a sliding door on the side of the truck. Then, a ramp stretches out from the van and down to the ground when the door opens.
The ramp can also be retracted within the car, closing the door. This makes it simple for mobility chair users to get in and out of a vehicle while simultaneously transporting their chairs.
Investing in a van is the answer if you want a straightforward, fast , and reliable solution for all wheelchairs. It may be more expensive, but a van is the most satisfactory solution for ensuring that you can always carry a wheelchair properly.
Ramps
Ramps are a terrific, simple way to get a wheelchair into a car; however, this depends mainly on the vehicle. Ramps can be handy if you own a truck, van, or even an SUV.
Roll the wheelchair up the ramp, lock the brakes for travel or collapse and secure it. You can probably lock the brakes and leave them in a van, but in the rear of a pickup truck, you’ll want to collapse and secure it. Ramps work best when combined with a van.
Remember that ramps must be relatively long so that the gradient isn’t excessively steep. You’ll need enough space behind your car for the entire ramp length, plus the size of your wheelchair or mobility scooter when you park.
Inside Lifts
Inside lifts are vehicle lifts featuring a hoist mechanism that swings outside the vehicle to load and lift the wheelchair into the car.
The Hybrid Lift is another form of vehicle lift for carrying wheelchairs in a car. Hybrids are positioned in the cargo compartment of the vehicle. However, the lift slides out and down so that the mobility equipment may be put onto the platform. The chair is then automatically hoisted into place for transport.
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