Power wheelchair users must be made aware of common sense speed considerations. There are no police enforcing wheelchair speed with radar and one must resist the temptation to travel as fast as their wheels will allow.

The most important factor is, as always, safety. Traveling quickly is hazardous for many obvious reasons. The reaction time window for avoiding obstacles is reduced proportionate to the speed one is traveling at, and there is a greater risk for accidents. Even if the rider is able to stop in time to avoid a sudden hazard, such as a pedestrian dashing in front of the path of the wheelchair, the force of the short stop can injure the rider and even through him/her from the chair!

So how fast is too fast? This varies on the situation and surroundings, as well as the physical condition of the rider. One must consider the possible obstacles that can suddenly appear and the reaction reflexes and physical ability to execute and withstand successful sudden deceleration

Indoors, the maximum recommended speed is five miles per hour. Things seem to be moving faster indoors, while the same speed feels a lot slower outdoors. There are generally more obstacles indoors, and speed should therefore be reduced.

While outdoors, five miles per hour can sometimes be safely exceeded. But one must be considerate if being accompanied by someone walking by foot. The average walking speed is three miles per hour, which may seem slow for the person riding in the wheelchair.

Modern direct drive wheelchairs usually have settings to adjust the maximum speed. Direct drive chairs usually have automatic braking with a control setting for deceleration speed as well. When set properly, these controls contribute greatly to the safety of the power wheelchair user and should be used

A battery charger seems like a pretty straight forward purchase. Don’t you just get the one that works with your battery? Although it’s not complicated, there are still a few options to consider.

Manual chargers keep charging the battery as long as they are plugged in to an AC outlet and connected to the battery. If one forgets to unplug them, the battery will be damaged. Automatic chargers sense when the battery is completely charged and switch to a trickle charge. Even with an automatic charger, you should check with the manufacturer if it is recommended to leave the battery connected when it is finished charging.

Some chargers are designed to work with one particular type of battery. If the battery is replaced or upgraded to a different type or size, a new charger will also have to be purchased. If there is the possibility that the battery type (gel or lead acid) may be changed later on, or if the size (block 22, block 24, etc.) will be switched, then a charger with variable settings is a must. If you do get such a charger, make sure that the settings are correct and can’t be changed accidentally. The wrong settings can damage a battery, possibly even causing it to explode or cause a fire!

If you are planning on traveling internationally, make sure to get a charger that works with other voltages. A common misconception is that there are only two possible voltages – 110V and 220V. Actually, there are more possibilities, such as 240V (ex. Australia), 230V (ex. Israel), etc.. If you don’t know where your travels might take you, get a charger that has a voltage range from 110V-240V. You will also have to get a plug adapter set, as various countries use different types of plug connectors.

Did you ever wonder what would happen to a helicopter should its engine fail? After all, an airplane is carried by its wings so it can still glide even after an engine failure. But a helicopter’s lift is generated by the spinning rotor which is rotated by the engine.

Have no fear, Autorotation is here. Simply put, autorotation means that the pilot can disengage the engine from the rotors, allowing them to spin freely so that he can safely land the helicopter, gliding to the ground.

Those who are considering purchasing their first power wheelchair are sometimes concerned what would happen should the power mechanism fail. Although today’s wheelchairs are extremely reliable, there is always a remote possibility that something can go wrong. More common is battery failure. Batteries are consumables. They do not last forever and eventually have to be replaced. However, they generally don’t stop working from one minute to the next. Rather, they gradually lose their ability to hold a charge and slowly begin to last less and less between charges. So this too shouldn’t be of much concern.

But it is possible for a wheelchair user to misjudge the distance he or she needs to travel and believe that they have enough power when they do not. Also, it is possible for one to forget to charge the wheelchair and not pay attention to the battery indicator, just as motorists sometimes run out of fuel.

Manufacturers have not overlooked this issue. Many power wheelchairs have a mechanism for disengaging the motor to allow the chair to be pushed manually by another person. This does not mean that the power wheelchair can do double duty as a manual chair. In fact, even when disengaged, the chair is meant to be pushed by someone else, not by the actual rider. What a motor disengagement mechanism does provide is the assurance that should something fail, the wheelchair user won’t be stranded in a chair that is difficult to move