Development of a Generic Nearside Impact Test Fixture for Evaluating In-Vehicle Crashworthiness of Wheelchairs

Current voluntary standards for wheelchair crashworthiness only test under frontal and rear impact conditions. To help provide an equitable level of safety for occupants seated in wheelchairs under side impact, we developed a sled test procedure simulating nearside impact loading using a fixed staggered loading wall. Publicly available side impact crash data from vehicles that could be modified for wheelchair use were analyzed to specify a relevant crash pulse. Finite element modeling was used to approximate the side impact loading of a wheelchair during an FMVSS No. 214 due to vehicle intrusion. Validation sled tests were conducted using commercial manual and power wheelchairs and a surrogate wheelchair base fixture. Test procedures include methods to position the wheelchair to provide consistent loading for wheelchairs of different dimensions. The fixture and procedures can be used to evaluate the integrity of wheelchairs under side impact loading conditions.