Questions and Answers: Transportation Services for Individuals with Disabilities

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) motor vehicle safety regulations require that a wheelchair lift be tested to withstand a 600-pound load. If the manufacturer states that the design load is 800 pounds, can the transportation operator limit actual use to 600 pounds for safety reasons?

No. The NHTSA safety standards and the DOT ADA regulations were designed to complement each other. The manufacturer’s design load represents the amount of weight that the lift is capable of supporting. The 600-pound test required under NHTSA’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) represents the minimum design load specified under 49 CFR Part 38. FMVSS does not limit the capacity of the lift.

Section 38.23(b)(1) requires a safety factor of six times the design load for working parts and three times the design load for nonworking parts. Given the requirement for safety factors of 3x and 6x the design load (depending upon the component), a lift with a 600 lb. design load should not be straining to the point of failure until the load approaches 1,800 lbs. (3 x 600).