Train-to-Train Impact Test: Wheelchair Securement Experiments

Researchers crash-tested off-the-shelf wheelchair securement devices in a train-to-train impact test at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado, on August 11, 2022. Two wheelchair securement devices and one backboard (baseline experiment) were each tested with a Hybrid III 50th percentile male (H3-50M) anthropomorphic test device (ATD), i.e., a crash test dummy, seated in a wheelchair. The wheelchair securement devices retained their structural integrity, remained attached to the carbody, compartmentalized the ATDs, and resulted in injury values that are likely survivable for an occupant.