Wheelchair Accommodation An In-Depth Study of Wheelchair Access & Equipment Use on Buses J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, TARC Karen Frost, PhD, University of Louisville 1
Research Objectives 1. Assess wheelchair & scooter incidents on fixed route transit buses 2. Describe ingress/egress issues 3. Describe wheelchair securement and lap & / shoulder belt usage 2
Research Methods Phase I Reviewed transit agency wheelchair incident records from 2000-2005 Written by bus operators Filed by end of shift IRB approval obtained for all data collection 3
Incident Report Data (115 reports) 73.9% of incidents occurred when vehicle was stopped n=115 During normal driving, most incidents occurred during vehicle turns (n=14, 61%) Wheelchair-related incidence rate per boarding <1% 115 Wheelchair-related written incidents during 6-year period 4
Incident Report Data (115 reports) Incident distribution based on wheelchair activity 42.6% of all incidents occurred on ramp n=115 30% of all wheelchair passengers required assistance to board Injury incidents were equally distributed between ramp & securement station incidents 5
Incident Report Data (115 reports) Incident scenarios n=115 Wheelchair & Passenger fell Non-fall Passenger fell passenger fell from wheelchair Event while walking 6
Research Methods Phase II Reviewed videos from onboard camera surveillance system over 21-month period (Jun 07 Feb 09) DVRs obtained on a random basis Wheelchair trips recorded for review & analysis Categorized subset of ingress/egress videos as involving a Difficulty or Incident 250 videos analyzed 7
Video Observation Methods Difficulty event involving two or more maneuvering attempts or a minor impact 1 with a bus component Incident wheelchair tipped and/or passenger fell from wheelchair, or a major impact 2 w/bus component 1 impact did not cause wheelchair to stop moving 2 impact stopped wheelchair 8
Video Observation Results (250 videos) 94.8% of trips occurred in dry weather 73.9% of passengers had backpack/bag attached to wheelchair 30% received assistance boarding (appeared to be due to inability/difficulty negotiating ramp width & slope) Distribution of observed wheelchairs 9
Video Observation Results (250 videos) Ingress Egress Ramp Extension Level Sidewalk 91.2% 79.1% Street 8.0% 18.9% Indeterminate/Other/Not applicable 0.1% 2.0. Surface Terrain Smooth concrete/pavement 81.6% 78.8% Uneven concrete/pavement 8.8% 12.3% Dirt/grass 8.8% 5.7% Could not be determined 0.8% 1.2% Wheelchair Orientation on Ramp Forward-facing 72.0% 99.2% Rear-facing 27.2% 0.0% Not applicable (ambulated) 0.8% 0.4% Assistance Provided by Whom No assistance 87.2% 81.9% Bus operator 7.2% 14.0% Personal assistant/other 4.1% 4.1% 10
Ingress Results (250 videos) 38 difficulties & 1 incident observed (~16% of tot. trips) Ramp-related factors identified: Edge barriers & narrow ramp width 17 videos Narrow doorway/ramp width 9 Ramp slope (too steep) 7 Exterior ramp threshold 3 Exterior surface terrain 3 Ramp Width Issues Ramp Slope Issues Exterior Ramp Threshold 11
Ingress Incident Videos Note: kneel switch must be toggled in order to deploy ramp 12
Egress Results (244 videos) 11 difficulties & 1 incident observed (~5% of trips) Ramp-related factors identified: Combination: ramp slope & width 6 videos and edge barrier issues Passenger driving & edge barrier 3 (turning too early at base of ramp) Interior gap bwtn doorway & ramp 3 Exterior surface terrain 1 Edge Barrier Doorway/Ramp Gap 13
Egress Incident Video 14
Average Process Time (295 Videos) INGRESS - From initial contact w/ramp through completion of tiedown and safety belt application Avg Ingress Process Time = 55 sec Avg Time for Difficulties = 1 min, 15 sec Total time for incident = 4 min, 58 sec EGRESS - From removal of tiedowns/safety belts until rear wheels are off the ramp Avg Egress Process Time = 35 sec Avg Time for Difficulties = 48 sec Total time for incident = 50 sec 15
Limitations of findings Data represents single geographic area Capability of wheelchair user(s) to navigate ramp Unknown actual ramp slope Low frame rate/resolution Findings based on observation, cannot determine causal factors 16
Wheelchair Securement Practices Overall Tiedown Usage (295 Videos) Tiedowns Transit agency has mandatory wheelchair securement policy 26% 74% 295 Videos By Wheelchair Type TDs Used TDs NOT Used Power Wheelchair 22% 78% Manual Wheelchair 41% 59% Scooter 20% 80% 17
Occupant Safety Belt Practices Overall Lap Belt Usage 21% Tiedowns The shoulder belt was not used during any observed trips, nor did the transit agency policy require mandatory use of safety belts 53% 27% By Wheelchair Type 295 Videos Lap Belt Used No Lap Belt Lap Belt Misused Power Wheelchair 17% 25% 58% Manual Wheelchair 31% 37% 32% Scooter 20% 10% 70% 18
Wheelchair Securement Practices 1 2 Don t try this at home! 3 4 19
Transit Agency Response to Findings Established working group to address problems & identify feasible solutions Hosted Train-the-Trainer course on wheelchair transportation safety Shared research findings Highlighted difficulties faced by wheelchair passengers Consequences of non-securement (crash test videos) Hands-on practice securing wheelchairs & scooters 20
Transit Agency Response to Findings Identified single trainer responsible for teaching misuse of the lap belt to secure the wheelchair Placed wheelchair securement practice station in break room Driver team competitions - boarding & securing wheelchair (drivers rode wheelchair) Implemented wheelchair marking & tether strap program to facilitate easier securement 21
Next Steps Investigate consequences of less-than-optimal wheelchair securement Wheelchair instability during normal driving vs emergency maneuvering using: zero tiedowns 4 tiedowns misuse of the lap belt to secure the wheelchair This study is in process at the Injury Risk Assessment & Prevention Lab at the University of Louisville (Z. Salipur, doctoral candidate) 22
Next Steps In-depth video analysis of wheelchair ramp usage Identify factors that contribute to incidents Collect ramp slope measurements Develop best practice guidelines for ramp usage Paratransit environment need for similar studies 23
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheelchair Transportation Safety http://www.rercwts.org/ Transit Authority of River City Funded by: National Institute of Disability & Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Grant #H133E060064 24