Car adaptation for children

Woman smiling at child sitting in a wheelchair

There are numerous ways to adapt cars for children with disabilities. Accessible car seats for children, which can save parents' backs from heavy lifting, are only one of many mobility aids for kids in vehicles.

 
Child car seat

Car seats for impaired children

To make the ride as comfortable as possible, there are accessible car seats that have custom inserts for the youngest children. To ensure a perfect fit, these are typically made to fit the child's body.

The growth and needs of older children with reduced mobility can be met by fully adaptable seats. The right child seat should be able to provide comfort, posture, pressure relief, and safety.

 

Posture belts for children

Another important aspect of the car seat is maintaining proper body position. One effective way to ensure correct posture is by using posture belts for children with disabilities. These belts help the child maintain a comfortable and safe position effortlessly, which is essential for achieving proper seat belt geometry and ensuring the safety belt functions as intended.

Please note that a posture belt should never replace a standard safety belt. It must always be used in combination with the vehicle’s safety belt for maximum protection.

Girl sitting in a car with a posture belt strapped on
 

Getting in and out of the car

Helping a child getting in and out of the car often involves heavy lifting in awkward positions. There is no reason for parents of children with disabilities to risk back strain when there are many vehicle adaptation solutions for children available. A seat lift for wheelchair users, for example, enables you to provide ergonomically correct assistance when transferring your child from the wheelchair to the car seat outside the vehicle. The seat lift then performs all the lifting to safely position the child inside the car.

Man assisting a child into a turnign seat
 
Baby sitting in a car looking into a mirror

Mirrors and surveillance

In order for you as a parent to keep an eye on your child, there are a number of monitoring solutions. Lights, mirrors as well as cameras and monitors can be of great assistance.

 

Riding in reverse 

The common advice from most countries authorities is to have small children, usually under the age of 4, to ride facing backwards. The reason for this is crash safety and the extra protection acquired from riding in reverse. Making accommodations for this in the adaptation is usually not a problem but to be on the safe side, talk to your vehicle adaptation professional before buying any child seats or carriers.

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