When a wheelchair is to be moved a greater distance it may be transported in a motor vehicle such as a bus or a car. The wheelchair occupant may occupy the wheelchair seat during such transport. For this purpose, the interior of the vehicle may be specially constructed or modified to be able to receive a wheelchair. In order to transport the wheelchair it is secured inside the vehicle for example by means of straps, and the wheelchair occupant may be strapped to the wheelchair for example by means of a safety belt. By securing the wheelchair in the vehicle in this manner, movement of the wheelchair relative to the vehicle is restricted in the event of an accident.
One example of securing a wheelchair in a vehicle is presented in WO2006048636 which discloses a flooring structure for mounting on a vehicle floor. The structure has four anchors, two for attachment to the back of the wheelchair and two for the attachment to the front of the wheelchair.
Another example of securing a wheelchair inside a vehicle is to secure the wheelchair by means of extensible belts fixed to floor rails arranged on the vehicle floor. These belts are attached to anchor points on the wheelchair chassis to restrict movement of the wheelchair in case of strong deceleration of the vehicle.
One problem with existing solutions is that the anchoring may not be robust enough especially for wheelchairs carrying heavy occupants. Moreover, current solutions do not provide sufficient protection from neck injuries in the event of a frontal collision.