Foundational standard

• Standards for wheelchair van safety are found in Society of Automobile Engineers standard J2249 (SAE J2249). According to a technical report from the University of Pittsburgh, "the purpose of SAE J2249 is to establish requirements for wheel chair tiedowns and occupant restraint systems (WTORS) sold as after-market equipment for installation and use in motor vehicles." Standards established by SAE for securing wheelchairs in a motor vehicle are voluntary and not mandated by the federal government.
  
  

Updated standard

• An update to SAE J2249 is currently under development and "will be published as part of the ANSI/RESNA Wheelchair Standards/ Volume 4: Wheelchairs and Transportation" (see Resources). ANSI refers to the American National Standards Institute and RESNA is the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of America. The standard is being updated to bring it into compliance with federal motor vehicle standards for passenger restraints. Wheelchair-bound passengers should be protected from the same directional crash forces that other passengers are exposed to.
  
  

Safe seating

• Wheelchairs designed to serve as a seat when mounted in a motor vehicle are manufactured to meet ANSI/RESNA standard WC19. Wheelchairs complying with standard WC19 are built with a system of hooks that have been tested to safely secure a wheelchair in the event of a vehicle crash. Look for the WC19 label when selecting a wheelchair for vehicle transportation.
  
  

Seat belts

• Each state has regulations that specify how different classes of vehicle passengers are to be restrained in motor vehicles. Federal motor vehicle safety regulations require motor vehicle manufacturers to build into vehicle seats lap and shoulder belts, and anchors for child safety seats. Disabled passengers sitting in wheelchairs are not able to take advantage of these safety features. Seat and shoulder belts need to be included in wheelchairs designed for transporting disabled passengers. Restraint systems designed for disabled persons must be able to support the upper torso of severely disabled persons in the event of a vehicle crash.
  
  

Federal law

• According to the U.S. Department of Justice's Guide to Disability Rights Laws, "the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications." Any government or private organization offering public transportation must make provisions for wheelchair-bound people to be safely transported.