D
espite decades of guidance and available resourc- es, improper wheelchair securement remains one of the most preventable safety issues in school transportation—leading to injuries, lawsuits and
daily uncertainty for drivers and aides. As student mo- bility needs grow more complex and equipment evolves just as quickly, transportation leaders are rethinking what safe securement looks like, from strengthened training to integrated technology designed to eliminate preventable mistakes. While it may seem like wheelchair securement has
remained status quo for years, innovations exist to make driver’s jobs easier. As discussed during the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Confer- ence in November, Twain McDougal, president of Transit Technologies subsidiary Vestige, said improper wheelchair securement puts passengers at risk and, “has been linked to countless injures, fatalities and legal claims.” Wheelchair Guardian aims to fix that. McDougal explained prior to the opening keynote Nov. 7 the new solution enhances the safety of wheelchair-bound passengers by using AI-enhanced camera software to monitor seatbelt usage and floor/hook securements to ensure they’re properly fastened. It includes strategical- ly placed cameras to monitor up to 10 key securement points, ensuring each one is correctly fastened. It checks a range of points, including seatbelts and floor-tie downs, addressing all possible areas where safety could be compromised. If any securement is found to be loose or improperly fastened, he explained, an instant notifi- cation will be sent to both the driver and back office, thus allowing for quick corrections. The technology is bound to help drivers feel more
comfortable. Even for seasoned transportation profes- sionals, wheelchair and child safety restraint systems are a challenge, especially with the complex needs and changing equipment. TSD Roadeo winners Jennifer Fugate and Pinkie Ro- land, both with Manfield ISD in Texas, said wheelchair securement is the one of important aspects of student transportation to do perfectly every time. “Making sure we knew each step and performed it properly was something we wanted to make sure to do not just for the roadeo but also when we return to work,” the pair jointly said via email following the conference. They shared that attending the wheelchair securement class taught by Q’Straint/Sure-Lok prior to the roadeo competition presented by WIT. and that the company sponsored, reminded them of best practices and how to do everything properly. “Specifically, [instructor Trisha Nolan] reminded us to thread the passenger belt through the chair in order
38 School Transportation News • JANUARY 2026
to keep the belt right against the body of the student to make them safer,” the duo said. “She demonstrated the exact way to buckle a student and where to place the top Sure-Lok so that the passenger restraint belt rested in the proper position on the student’s shoulder, not cutting into their neck. If you don’t use a skill regularly it is easy to forget some important details. One of those details is to remember to use the little red button on the Sure-Lok to lower the passenger restraint belt after finishing with the rest of the securement process. This final little detail not only makes the ride more comfortable for the student, but it keeps them safer in the event of a sudden stop. “She also made a point to show how important the
45-degree angle is when placing the hooks onto the chair and she demonstrated what could happen if it isn’t done correctly,” they continued, adding that during the roadeo a similar situation happened. “We were shocked and so glad we had taken the class at the conference.” Fugate and Roland are only one example of why training is paramount. The TSD Conference provides at- tendees with the hands-on experience they need to feel secure transporting the nation’s most precious cargo. Martiza Valentin of AMF-Bruns of America presented a
three-hour, hands-on seminar on “Mastering Wheelchair & Occupant Securement Training.” Attendee Rickey Jor- dan from Fort Wayne Community Schools in Indiana said the class provided several takeaways as well as resources. He especially liked the hands-on portion, where instruc- tors demonstrated securement points in small groups. Meanwhile, Darren Reaume, director of training at
Q’Straint/Sure-Lok, told STN that school transportation providers face a harder job today than they did 10 to 20 years ago. Student mobility devices are becoming more advanced and comfortable for riders, but their growing complexity makes them harder to secure. “There’s this weird paradox where the devices are get- ting safer and better for students to use on a daily basis, and more difficult to actually go through the securement process,” Reaume said, noting the industry has gone from dealing with 50 types of devices to now hundreds. He explained that school districts are in a better posi-
tion than public transportation providers to provide safe and effective securement for students, since they are transporting kids for the entire year. He said it’s import- ant to bring up the securement of a student’s mobility device during the IEP meeting, so that transportation is in the loop on the type of device and how to secure it in a moving vehicle. “If the device isn’t crash-tested, [district officials]
would at least [need to] agree to mark the attachment lo- cations on the frame that they’re going to use that would align with secure equipment manufacturer’s principles
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