A wheelchair lift for your accessible vehicle can run the gamut from mandatory safety features to options like whisper-quiet operation and remote controls, depending on what you need and what you can afford.

Some things are standard while others are optional.

For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires wheelchair-accessible vans with wheelchair lifts to be equipped with a safety lift interlock. Designed to prevent operation of the wheelchair van or wheelchair lift in unsafe situations, the safety interlock sounds an alarm if an unsafe condition exists (e.g., the vehicle attempts to move while the lift is deployed) or prevent the vehicle from shifting into drive while the lift is in operation.

Other federal mandates include such safety features as:

• Retaining barriers on the platform edge
• Threshold warning signal: If the threshold warning plate is occupied when the lift platform is below vehicle floor level, lift operation will be prevented, and visual/audible warnings alert passengers and attendants to unsafe conditions
• Handrails for security
• Interlocks to prevent accidental movement of the lift

Other features to look for:

• A bridging mechanism that allows you to safely board the lift from sidewalks or inclines
• To control lift operations, choose between the standard hand-held control, the on-lift control or an optional remote control