Wheelchairs Now — motorized wheelchair

It seems 2015 was one of the deadliest traffic years since 2007.  Part of the reason was the lower gas prices and the improving economy, people were spending more time on the road than in previous years.  With the advent of text messaging and drunk driving trending higher in 2015 compared to 2014, the streets are getting more and more dangerous. The daily news reports about car fatalities have become common and ubiquitous, to the point where most of us don't even give it a second thought.  We would like to take this time to remind everyone to drive safer.  There are people out there that need a little more time in the crosswalk and we have to be mindful of it.

Here are some recent tragedies that could have been avoided:

Harold Smith, 75 of Raleigh (North Carolina), was struck by a car on Easter morning while driving his motorized scooter to the Save-A-Lot grocery store nine blocks from his house.  He had just bought food for the holiday cookout.  He was an elderly fixture in the neighborhood, and his death to one reporter was... "the saddest deaths so far this year: a man who had had a stroke, who used a wheelchair to get around, who was run down on the holiest day of the Christian Calendar." Harold Smith was traveling east to west, outside of the crosswalk. The car that struck him did not brake before impact, and police said the driver had a clear view.  No charges have been filed as the investigation continues.

Richard Barley, 85 of Kingstree (South Carolina), was in his power wheelchair and crossing the Highway 52 and Longstreet, which is just north of Kingstree, SC.  That's when a 1992 Honda Accord hit him while on his electric wheelchair. Troopers say no charges will be filed against the driver of the car, since the person in the wheelchair was illegally crossing the road.  Although it may be seemingly the fault of the power wheelchair driver, the driver of the Honda Accord is equally to blame for this horrific accident.

John Carter, 45 of North Dallas (Texas), in his electric wheelchair, was on his way home from dinner and drinks at around 2:16 a.m. when he headed towards the Belt Line Village.  A suspected drunk driver hit him as he was crossing the street in his custom $25,000.00 motorized wheelchair, sending him to the hospital with serious injuries.  Carter is wheelchair bound and has no arms and legs.  Carter is recovering at the Presbyterian hospital from broken ribs & lacerations. What's worse---His prosthetic legs valued at 10-thousand dollars were crushed.  His wheelchair, which doctors believed absorbed the brunt of the crash & may have saved Carter's life, was also destroyed.  Check out the new story in the video below. 

It should be common sense that disabled people, especially ones in wheelchairs are less capable of dodging a speeding automobile than an able bodied person.  A Georgetown University Medical Center investigation into how often wheelchair users are killed in car-pedestrian crashes finds they are a third more likely to die than non-wheelchair users; more than half of those deaths occur at intersections.  No matter who is at fault in an accident, we all need to drive safer. It's our civil duty to be safer for our neighbors and for ourselves.

Let's face it -- traveling by Airplane is stressful enough for all of us.  There's likely not a person on this earth that enjoys the hassles that go into traveling by air, and worse yet, having to take a mobility aid like a power wheelchair along for the ride can make it much worse.  Luckily, and hopefully, you have an EZ Lite Cruiser which can be easily folded for transportation.  

One of the most commonly asked questions we get is whether the EZ Lite Cruiser and its Lithium Battery are permitted on an airplane.  The answer is "YES!"  Our 10 Ah batteries are within the US Department of Transportation guidelines on lithium batteries for air travel.   

Now that we know the batteries conform to US Department of Transportation regulations, to get specific limitations, we turn to the individual airlines for their specific restrictions and specifications.  For our purposes here, we will use a couple of major North American carriers -- Delta and United Airlines for our purposes.   Each one has very similar restrictions, but all generally follow the same accord. 

1. Delta Airlines Lithium Battery Regulations

Click on the link above and scroll down to "WHEELCHAIRS/MOBILITY AIDS WITH LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES" to expand the notes:

Lithium-ion batteries that power mobility devices and are within the federal restrictions listed below are allowed on passenger aircraft.

For collapsible mobility aids, customers will be allowed two (2) spare batteries if less than 160 WH for collapsible mobility aids, or one (1) spare battery if less than 300 WH.
For mobility aids where the lithium battery is installed as an integral part of the device, there is no battery size limit.
Other Lithium-ion Battery Requirements:
The battery terminals must be protected from short circuiting.
The battery must have been tested per UN Part III, Section 38.3.

2. United Airlines Lithium Battery Regulations 

Click on the link above and scroll down to the area pertaining to "Lithium ion battery" which reads: 

Lithium ion battery: Lithium ion batteries are classified independently of other battery types. Lithium batteries may overheat and ignite in certain conditions and, once ignited, may be difficult to extinguish. Lithium batteries are considered a hazardous material for which the following restrictions apply:

• There must be at least one effective means designed into the wheelchair or mobility aid in order to prevent accidental activation or possible short-circuiting
• If you have a collapsible mobility device, the battery must be removed and cannot exceed 300 watt hours.
• If you have a non-collapsible device, Federal Regulations allow for one large lithium ion battery to be transported installed in the device and up to two spare batteries to be transported in carry-on baggage. There is no watt hour limit for the battery installed in the device. If you have one spare battery, it must not exceed 300 watt hours. If you have two spare batteries, they must not exceed 160 watt hours each.

The watt-hour rating is a measure by which lithium ion batteries are regulated. If you are unsure of the watt-hour rating of your lithium ion battery, contact the manufacturer of your device. Lithium ion batteries manufactured after January 1, 2009, are required to be marked with the watt-hour rating.

If you are not using one of these carriers, but another different carrier, which may be a smaller airline, you will likely find the same information they have posted on their website regarding their own lithium battery restrictions.  If by chance they do not have this information posted on their website, it is prudent to call and ask for this information.  If you reach a representative that is unaware of this type of information, you should ask to speak to a supervisor, and they will in most cases have that information to give to you.  If the airline requires more information, such as the UN 38.3 Air Cargo Battery Test report, or a Material Safety Data Sheet, please contact us, and we can provide this documentation to you for our batteries.  Please note, this is specific to EZ Lite Cruiser batteries, and not other batteries.  Most airlines do not require this level of information, but if they ask for it, we certainly have it to provide to them.

Here are some other helpful tips when traveling with a light weight and fold-able power wheelchair, like the EZ Lite Cruiser:

1. When making your reservation, or after it has been done, you can add some a note to the itinerary to let the airline know you are traveling with a power wheelchair.  Airlines are very compassionate to those with the need for mobility aids, and will go out of their way to assist.  By adding this information to your itinerary, the clerk at check-in will be ready to assist in taking the power chair from you there, and arranging for the airline to give you a 'lift' to the gate, or they will ensure that you can get through security and ride your power chair all the way up to the gate.

2. When it is time to give your EZ Lite Cruiser power chair to the baggage handlers, we recommend disconnecting the joystick from the arm rest, and securing it with some bubble wrap, and storing it either between the seat cushion and back support cushion, or tucking it away in the storage compartment underneath the seat, where the battery would go.  This will ensure your joystick is not damaged while the chair is in the possession of the airlines baggage handlers. 

3. You will need to disconnect the battery from your EZ Lite Cruiser, and bring it on board the airplane.  As you would disconnect it any other time, simply pull apart the two connectors and take the battery off your chair.  The battery should be stored in the convenient carrying case that comes with your battery.  This makes it easy to bring it on board the airplane in your carry-on.  Some airlines go as far as needing to have the battery connectors taped up to ensure there is no short circuit of it, which is easily done with a strip of electrical tape. 

Now, if by chance your EZ Lite Cruiser is damaged by the airlines, do not worry.  The airlines in virtually every case will own up to the fact that it was damaged during transit, and will pay to replace any damaged parts or in a case of total damage, will replace the chair for you in full.  

There are essentially two major companies that are contracted by the airlines to deal with these types of claims.  

A - Global Repair Group, based out of Northbrook, IL., has been in business for many years and is one of the trusted places to go for repairs and service with an Airline claim.  They have a nationwide network of technicians located throughout the US and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

B - ScootAround, based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada, has also been a staple in the industry, assisting users who travel with mobility aids on airlines.  They can help with claims for anyone across North America, and are also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your convenience.

When you reclaim your power chair from the airline, inspect it right away to make sure it works properly and look it over to see if there is any damage.  If there is damage, you should notify an airline representative right away, so that they can document the problem and they will let you know who to contact regarding the claim.  In all likelihood, one of the two companies, Global Repair Group or ScootAround, mentioned above, will assist with the claim, and we will assist with the process of getting replacement parts for your EZ Lite Cruiser to assist in the service and maintenance process, or getting you a new EZ Lite Cruiser as a total replacement, if that were to happen. 

If you have any further questions about travel with your EZ Lite Cruiser power wheelchair, please do Contact Us, and we'll be glad to assist.

Safe Travels!