E-petition and website launched for sled testing campaign

May 28, 2012 - PRLog -- Organisers Disabled Motoring UK need 100,000 signatures over the next three months to have a chance for the issue to be discussed in the House of Commons and legislation to be changed to make the sled testing of wheelchair accessible vehicles compulsory. To sign the petition go to http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/34003 People can also show their support by liking the campaign Facebook page (search for Sled Test Campaign) and following the campaign on Twitter by searching for @WAVSafety and #WAVSafety

As well as the e-petition, a campaign website has been launched www.sledtesting.co.uk which explains why sled testing is so important and helps people who are purchasing wheelchair accessible vehicles ask the right questions.

Helen Dolphin, Director of Policy and Campaigns for Disabled Motoring UK, said: “It is amazing that vehicles are being sold that may not be safe for the drivers and their disabled passengers and we feel strongly that this must stop. We will be calling on the Government to change legislation so that people don’t unknowingly purchase unsafe vehicles. Alongside this we will be educating people to make sure they ask the right questions before purchasing a converted car.”

Managing Director of Constables Mobility David Constable, an expert in vehicle conversion, added: “Wheelchair users have a right to a vehicle that has been properly tested so they are as safe as possible in the event of an accident.” I strongly believe that all companies who convert cars should only be allowed to sell them if they have been successfully sled tested after conversion.”

A sled test is similar to the crash testing seen on TV - a dummy is strapped into a wheelchair within the car, which is then put through head-on collisions to check that both the belts and their fixings are strong enough to withstand a real-life accident and keep the wheelchair user secure.

The reason testing is so vital after conversion to a wheelchair accessible vehicle is because converting a car is a complex process involving significant structural changes to the vehicle such as lowering the floor. If this is not done properly, and by experts, the car may be unsafe.

DMUK is the only UK charity that campaigns on behalf of disabled people in this way. Without DMUK and its parent charities the Disabled Drivers’ Association and the Disabled Drivers’ Motor Club, there would be no Blue Badge scheme, no Motability cars, and no mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to help disabled people defray some of the extra travel and transport costs that they incur.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

What is sled testing?
The sled test is similar to the crash testing that many of us have seen on TV a dummy is strapped into a wheelchair in the body of the car, which is then put through head-on collisions to check that both the belts and their fixings are strong enough to withstand a real-life accident and keep the wheelchair passenger secure.

Sled testing is the only means of proving that the cell (i.e. the conversion anchorage points together with the belts and tie-downs) is safe.

The industry has witnessed a 50 per cent failure rate with the wheelchair and occupant sled test, even when the conversion has previously been pull-tested and the belts and tie-downs have been tested separately by the belt manufacturer. It is when the constituent parts are put together as a complete system that they fail.

Why is testing important?

•   Converting a WAV involves major changes so the original tests may no longer apply
•   In a WAV, the wheelchair is the seat but it wasn’t there when the original car was tested
•   Testing is needed to check both the fixings and the belts work properly in the event of a crash
•   Sled testing is the only test that actively checks whether the WAV is able to keep the wheelchair passenger secure in a real-life accident.

How do people make sure the vehicle they are buying is safe for the driver and wheelchair user?

Converting a car to make it wheelchair accessible is a complex process involving significant structural changes to the vehicle such as lowering the floor. If this is not done properly, and by experts, the car may be unsafe.

The simple way to check whether a new car meets these standards is to ask to see its certification. Sled tested WAVs will have an ECWVTA.M1 certificate. But do check that the certificate is for the conversion, not the original car.  

For more information or interview requests contact Helen Dolphin Director of Policy and Campaigns Disabled Motoring UK 01508 489449 or e-mail or Suzi Christie at Blueberry PR on 01435 830031 or e-mail suzi@blueberry-pr.co.uk