@article{ref1,
title="Comfort and Safety As Perceived by Wheelchair-Seated Bus Passengers",
journal="Transportation planning and technology",
year="2007",
author="Wretstrand, Anders",
volume="30",
number="2",
pages="205-224",
abstract="Wheelchair-seated passengers on European and Swedish urban transit buses can travel rearwards, resting against a bulkhead, without the use of tie-down equipment. However, users sometimes disapprove of being the only passengers who have to travel rearwards, and also unrestrained. In order to investigate comfort and safety as perceived by wheelchair-seated bus passengers riding either forwards or rearwards, an experimental field study was carried out. Participating subjects were 31 wheelchair users and a group of 44 ambulant passengers. Each subject made two consecutive, identical 15-minute trips, randomly beginning either forwards or backwards, and interviews were conducted after each trip. During the trips, three-axis bus motion was recorded. The concept of categorization was used as a theoretical background and basis for discussion of the comfort and safety constructs. The results indicated that while the majority preferred the forward-facing position regarding comfort issues, a minority felt that the level of perceived safety was better. Wheelchair-seated passengers were more positive towards the rearward position than the ambulant group.<p />",
language="en",
issn="0308-1060",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}