Wheel chair - public transport 22 January 2019 at 10:37AM in Disability money matters 16 replies 2.6K views

sevenhills

Your views on the photo please.
I am involved in transporting wheelchairs in my job, but facing a wheelchair backwards does not sound right.
Is it really safer, just in taxis, trains, buses and cars?

unrecordings

Does the sign only refer to black cabs and their unique folding arrangement behind the driver ?

Alter_ego

No, it's safer in all forms of transport where there is a risk of frontal collision.

sevenhills

Alter_ego wrote: »

No, it's safer in all forms of transport where there is a risk of frontal collision.

It must be a new finding, my employer has numerous wheelchair buses and none are faced backwards.

poppy12345

I agree that it's much safer traveling backwards. You travel backwards on buses too.

esuhl

sevenhills wrote: »

It must be a new finding, my employer has numerous wheelchair buses and none are faced backwards.

It's nothing new -- just simple common-sense.

sevenhills

esuhl wrote: »

It's nothing new -- just simple common-sense.

Most car seats have a headrest that is to prevent a whiplash injury, facing backwards without a headrest would not be safe in the event of an acident?

esuhl

sevenhills wrote: »

Most car seats have a headrest that is to prevent a whiplash injury, facing backwards without a headrest would not be safe in the event of an acident?

Wheelchairs don't usually have headrests.

sevenhills

esuhl wrote: »

Wheelchairs don't usually have headrests.

That is my point, if they face the wrong way in an acident!

poppy12345

sevenhills wrote: »

Most car seats have a headrest that is to prevent a whiplash injury, facing backwards without a headrest would not be safe in the event of an acident?

You're facing backwards which is obviously much safer then facing forward in the event of an accident. When the driver applies the breaks or if someone hits the car you're traveling in then there's less risk of being pushed forward if you're sat backwards.


Being wheelchair user myself, it makes perfect sense. Sorry but if your job is to transport wheelchairs and you wanted to transport me in a vehicle facing forward then i'd simply refuse to travel with you.

sevenhills

poppy12345 wrote: »

Being wheelchair user myself, it makes perfect sense. Sorry but if your job is to transport wheelchairs and you wanted to transport me in a vehicle facing forward then i'd simply refuse to travel with you.

Hundreds are transported every week, not by me personally, never heard of facing backwards.
I was talking to another driver today, he seemed to think it just applies to London taxis where they have a built-in headrest in the vehicle.