Safety Standards For Handicap Vans

Safety should always be the number one priority of anyone with a disability when it comes to purchasing handicap vans. The purpose of a handicap van is to provide those with disabilities an opportunity to gain back a little bit of freedom and comfort. Travelling while being in a wheelchair is incredibly stressful and tough. The last thing that you need is an unsafe vehicle making your worries even worse. Thankfully, the Americans with Disability Act puts most of those concerns and worries to bed.

The Americans with Disability Act was put into law in the year 1990. The ADA was stacked full of regulations and requirements that manufacturers of handicap vans had to meet before they could be sold at any dealership. These regulations and requirements were designed to keep disabled people protected from serious injuries that might occur as a result of negligence on the part of the manufacturer. You can rest a bit easier knowing that a vehicle cannot be legally sold unless it has proven to meet some of the following standards.

One of the most important standards put in place by the ADA is that all vehicles must have a guardrail installed on both the side of ramps and on lift platforms to prevent wheelchairs from falling off the back or side of the ramp or lift platform. Who knows how many lives have probably been saved or injuries prevented because of this basic safety feature. Another big standard is that all of the ramps installed on handicap vans have to be able to support at least 600 pounds. Most manufacturers and designers of mobility equipment have gone to great lengths surpass this standard, providing solid, sturdy ramps and lifts for disabled individuals all over the world.

Another major concern for the ADA was making sure that wheelchairs were not mobile while inside the vehicle. A wheelchair that is not restrained in place can cause all kinds of problems, including a car accident. One of the ways the ADA made sure this did not happen was through wheelchair restraints on the inside of the vehicle. These used to be straps that tied the chair in place. The technology has improved, and automatic restraints are in most vehicles now.

When you go shopping for a vehicle, you know that the one you purchase will be safe thanks to the safety regulations put into place by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

By: Bob Lundin

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United Access is a premier provider of new and used wheelchair accessible vans and mobility equipment in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi. Visit UnitedAccess.com today to find a wheelchair lift in your area.