Motor vehicle transportation use and related adverse events among persons who use wheelchairs

For the 2.2 million people who use wheelchairs in the United States, transportation is often needed for independence in the community. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of transportation use in a population of wheelchair users and to examine the motor vehicle crash involvement and injury frequency of these users. Responses were collected from 596 individuals from June 2002 to November 2003. Approximately 20% of the sample population was involved in a motor vehicle crash in the previous 3 years, resulting in a rate of 3.6 accidents/incidents per 100,000 miles traveled. Crashes were defined as any motor vehicle accident that the person was involved in during the previous 3 years. Persons who did not transfer from their wheelchair were more likely to be involved in a crash than those individuals who transferred to vehicle seats. Eighteen percent of the population reported involvement in a non-crash-related incident during the previous 3 years. Passengers reported a greater frequency of non-crash-related injuries than did drivers. The results of this study provide documentation of transportation use and safety in people who use wheelchairs. It provides insight into the risk of crash and injury in this population.