Why Mobility Device Securement Training Matters for Bus Drivers

Passengers who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices depend on your drivers to keep them safe. Without proper mobility device securement, that’s impossible.

Properly securing a mobility device is the difference between an incident-free trip and suffering from lawsuits, fines, and passenger complaints. Worse yet, improper mobility device securement can lead to serious and even fatal injuries.

This does not have to happen to your fleet. You can easily incorporate mobility device securement into your operator training to protect company from lawsuits and your passengers from harm.

What Is Mobility Device Securement?

Mobility device securement means correctly fastening a wheelchair, scooter, or similar device to the bus using approved securement systems. This usually includes:

• Using the lift or ramp to safely board the passenger
• Securing the mobility device at multiple points to the bus
• Securing the passenger to the device

The goal of mobility device securement is to ensure that both the passenger and their device do not move when the bus changes direction. The entire process takes roughly 5 to 7 minutes. However, it’s complex, and one mistake can lead to disaster.

ADA Requirements: What You Must Know

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA for short) sets clear rules for transporting passengers with mobility devices.

Under ADA requirements, transit agencies must:

• Allow passengers to remain in their mobility devices or transfer to other seating based on the passenger’s preference
• Use approved systems to secure passengers and mobility devices before transportation
• Inspect equipment before use
• Train their drivers on proper use of equipment

Failure to meet these requirements can result in audits, court appearances, fines, and costly settlements.

The Risks of Improper Securement

The most serious injuries from improper mobility device securement happen during collisions. However, the risk does not stop there. Securement-related passenger injuries can happen during:

• Normal braking
• Panic stops
• Accelerating from a green light
• Sharp turns

If a wheelchair is not secured, it can tip, slide, or roll. This is not only a hazard for the passenger in the mobility device, but a hazard for all other passengers on board the bus. Additionally, if the passenger is not properly secured to the device, they can be thrown from it.

Any of these can have tragic results, and they happen when your driver makes a mistake in the securement process.

In rare circumstances, a driver might completely forget to secure a device or out-right decide not to secure it. Most commonly, though, drivers simply forget a step or don’t know how to do it correctly.

That’s why you need to train your drivers.

How to Train Your Bus Drivers on Mobility Device Securement

Mobility device securement training is crucial for the safety of your company and passengers. Drivers should be trained at time of hire, throughout the year as refresher training, and post-incident.

The problem is, creating this training yourself is extremely time-consuming. As mentioned before, mobility device securement is an involved process. It includes understanding how to use the lift or ramp, how to safely board the passenger onto the vehicle, how to secure the passenger and their device, and how to provide excellent customer service throughout. Not only that, but your drivers need to be educated on the applicable laws within the ADA so that they do not discriminate against your passengers.

You don’t need to do it all on your own. A program like The Bus Safety Course will help.

The Bus Safety Course is world-class training for transit and motorcoach operators. It’s a powerful online training tool that gives you access to dozens of courses. You’ll have content on defensive driving, vehicle inspections, the ADA, serving passengers with disabilities, properly securing mobility devices, and much more.

With the Bus Safety Course, you can rest assured knowing your drivers are getting the knowledge they need.

Mobility Device Securement is About Respect

While safety is the top concern, dignity is at the core of proper mobility securement. Your passengers who use mobility devices count on your drivers to safely transport them with kindness and respect. This is a powerful role that should be taken seriously.

Without proper training, your drivers are at risk of missing a step in the process. They’re also at risk of unknowingly denying your passengers service that’s guaranteed under the ADA. This can lead to accidents, injuries, fines, and court appearances. It also leads to the pain and suffering of your passengers.

If you want an easy solution for training your bus drivers on mobility device securement, check out the Bus Safety Course. You can get started for free. No strings attached, and no credit card required.