Assessment of Low-Floor Transit Bus G Forces on Rear-Facing Wheelchair Securement Systems

This report presents the results of several testing scenarios of urban low-floor buses equipped with a rear-facing securement system for wheelchair passengers. Frontal crash tests at 50 km/h indicated that the deceleration on the load cell holding a wheelchair with a simulated passenger weight measured below 3 g. Extreme manoeuvring test results indicated a maximum lateral force of 0.2 g, and a longitudinal deceleration force of 0.5 g for the dummy and wheelchair, measured by accelerometers on the bus floor. The sled test results, using 3 g for the impact on a back panel mock-up with different angles, were inconclusive to determine the appropriate back angle degree, but showed that the passenger and the wheelchair would be safe under these circumstances. It was concluded that the 3 g forces as indicated in CSA Standard D435-02 were validated and that the rear-facing system is a safe system to be used in large low-floor buses.