Trekinetic is delighted to announce that their GTE powerchair has been crash tested to the ISO 7176-19 standard, designating it as a wheeled mobility device for use as a seat in a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (when using Trekinetic’s 5-point vehicle restraint system).
The international standard means that GTE users can now safely sit in their wheelchair during journeys in a motor vehicle using anchor points that secure the chair in place.
This news will come as a great relief to many wheelchair users who cannot easily transfer from their chair into a car or vice versa, as it eliminates this often-difficult element of travel. It also gives users peace of mind that the wheelchair will be able to safely withstand an impact that may occur while travelling.
The GTE joins the Trekinetic K2, which achieved the same international standard back in 2006 in becoming a seat option in a forward-facing position for both children and adults when placed in a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV). At time of writing, this only applies to the standard 16” seat and not the 19” seat.
A WAV is a specially adapted vehicle that allows a wheelchair to be upright while travelling, allowing the user to be seated the entire journey. The wheelchair is securely anchored to the floor of the vehicle during this time.
Standard vehicles can be adapted by taking out a car’s seat(s) and an access point created, often through the rear of the vehicle, to allow the wheelchair to be positioned securely for a journey. This is typically done via a ramp and in some cases the floor in the car is lowered to accommodate the wheelchair.
Safety is incredibly important when it comes to our customers, as is the safety of the other occupants in the vehicle, hence why we have now crash tested both the K2 and GTE to provide safe transportation to all our users.
The Trekinetic 5-point vehicle restraint system will be available as an option on all new GTE powerchairs from 1st June 2022 although the customer will need to ensure they have a suitable vehicle with anchor points for the tie downs. Trekinetic recommend a headrest when using the 5-point vehicle restraint system, although this is not mandatory.
Trekinetic will look to retrofit the appropriate parts to older chairs where possible although this may not be possible on some older chairs. We would suggest that you speak to our team about your chair directly to discuss your custom requirements in this case.
For more information on the Trekinetic K2 and GTE, and to find out about the other options available click here.
