FAQ C20

Can wheelchair scooters and stroller type wheelchairs comply with WC19?

WC19 does not exclude any type of wheelchair from complying with WC19 unless it does not allow for a seated posture. If a wheelchair provides for a seated posture and complies with all the other requirements of WC19, the wheelchair is considered a WC19-compliant wheelchair. This does not mean that all makes and models of wheelchairs can be easily modified or redesigned to comply with WC19 requirements. Some, such as three and four-wheel powered scooters, may require more significant changes in design than others. However, as previously noted, a wheelchair does not need to be particularly heavy and/or strong to comply with the frontal-impact test of WC19. Some low-weight tilt-in-space stroller-type wheelchairs have successfully passed the crash test with relatively minor modifications to the non-WC19 compliant version of the wheelchair.