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Vehicles with a Tailgate

When boarding a vehicle with a tailgate, you may potentially have to go up a steep ramp facing forward. This is not possible in track mode for safety reasons and is blocked by the wheelchair. Therefore, there is a special car passenger boarding mode to get into a vehicle with a tailgate. To do so, proceed as follows:

  1. Position your wheelchair in front of the vehicle’s loading device (ramp). Ensure that the ground is either level or that the ground slopes downwards towards the vehicle.

  2. Switch to park mode.

  3. Attach two of the vehicle’s self-locking restraint belts to both of your wheelchair’s front securement points.

  4. Activate the car passenger mode by selecting the car passenger mode icon on the control panel Figure 31, “All available icons and indicators”).

  5. Activate the car passenger boarding mode by selecting the track mode icon on the control panel.

  6. Move the joystick to complete the transition to the car passenger boarding mode.

  7. Once the transition has been completed, carefully guide your wheelchair up the ramp under the supervision of an assistant who should walk behind the wheelchair. As you enter the vehicle, make sure that you have enough headroom and that the wheelchair does not tip over backwards.

  8. Guide the wheelchair to the assigned position for transport in the vehicle.

  9. When the intended transport position is reached, change to the recommended car passenger position by selecting the park mode symbol on the control panel.

  10. Move the joystick to complete the transition to the recommended car passenger position. Once you are in the recommended car passenger position, the park mode icon, the car passenger mode icon and the LED ring will light up in green (see (b) Car passenger position – recommended position). See also Car Passenger Positions.

  11. Finish securing the wheelchair by attaching approved restraint belts (approved for the wheelchair weight incl. occupant) to the wheelchair’s two securement points at the back. Figure 72, “Securing the wheelchair as a passenger seat in the vehicle” shows how the restraint belts are to be attached correctly.

  12. Use the vehicle’s personal restraint systems to prevent yourself from being ejected from it. Never use the wheelchair’s integrated pelvic belt for this purpose

  13. Remove all loose objects and accessories from the wheelchair that could be sent flying through the vehicle if the driver decelerates rapidly. In particular, remove your smartphone from the Scewo holder and stow it in a safe place.

When you have arrived at your destination and wish to exit the vehicle, proceed as follows:

  1. Remove the restraints at the back.

  2. The restraints in the front need to remain attached, but have to be adjusted so that they can be pulled outward.

  3. Activate car passenger boarding mode (see (a) Passenger boarding mode [93])) by selecting the track mode icon on the control panel.

  4. Move the joystick to complete the transition to the car passenger boarding mode.

  5. Once the transition has been completed, carefully reverse your wheelchair out of the vehicle and down the ramp, under the supervision of an assistant. As you exit the vehicle, make sure that your head does not hit the roof of the vehicle and that the wheelchair does not tip over backwards.

  6. When your wheelchair is completely off the ramp and on level ground, deactivate the car passenger mode by selecting the car passenger mode icon on the control panel (see Figure 31, “All available icons and indicators”).

  7. The car passenger mode icon on the control panel should now no longer be on.

  8. Switch to park mode.

  9. It is only when park mode is activated that it is safe to remove the front restraints from the wheelchair.

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