Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 39, March 25, 2024
Subpart
1.
Nominal movement.
A user-friendly securement device must limit movement of an
occupied wheelchair when the vehicle is in normal operation. An occupied
wheelchair loaded with a restrained weight of 250 pounds may not move more than
two inches in any direction at any point of contact with the floor when the
vehicle is being operated under the following conditions:
A. full-throttle acceleration on dry pavement
from a standstill to a speed of 25 miles per hour with the vehicle at its curb
weight plus one occupied wheelchair;
B. maximum braking from a speed of 22 miles
per hour to a standstill on dry pavement with the vehicle at its curb weight
plus one occupied wheelchair; and
C. driving both clockwise and
counterclockwise with the outer, front wheel around one of the following:
(1) a 50-foot diameter circle at a minimum
steady speed of 12 miles per hour;
(2) a 75-foot diameter circle at a minimum
steady speed of 14 miles per hour; or
(3) a 100-foot diameter circle at a minimum
steady speed of 16 miles per hour.
Subp. 2.
Attachment.
A user-friendly securement device must attach to the wheelchair
without damaging it during normal vehicle operations. "Damage" includes effects
harmful to the strength, integrity, or serviceableness of the wheelchair but
does not include minor dents, scratches, or other cosmetic blemishes not
materially affecting serviceableness. A bent wheel or broken spoke for example
is "damage."
Subp. 3.
Release.
A user-friendly securement device must be designed so as to
prevent an unintended mechanical release.
Subp. 4.
User-friendly.
A user-friendly securement device must be designed so that it
can be readily engaged and released by the user, or remotely by the vehicle
driver, subject to the following conditions:
A. The manual operating control for the user
must be located within the upper 33 inches of a 48-inch cube occupied by the
secured wheelchair.
B. The force
required by the user to engage and release may not exceed five pounds force and
may not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist.
C. When a device is manually engaged, the
reach, force, and dexterity required to manually release the device may not
exceed that required to manually engage it.
D. The device may be automatically engaged by
the wheelchair or remotely by the vehicle driver, but a manual release must be
available that meets the specifications of items A and B. A device that may be
remotely engaged or released by the driver must have an indicator light to
inform the driver that the device has engaged or released the
wheelchair.
E. A user-friendly
device does not need to be able to secure all types of wheelchairs. A
user-friendly device must secure all types of wheelchairs for which it is
approved by the commissioner.
Statutory Authority: MS s
299A.01;
299A.12;
299A.18
