18
determine whether or not there was a radio wave source nearby at the time of
the incident.
One precaution you can take against unintended motion of your mobility vehicle
is to make certain that your or someone else is not the cause of the unintended
motion.
Turn off your mobility vehicle by removing the key from the key switch
when you are getting onto or off of your mobility vehicle.
Never leave the key in the key switch of an unattended mobility vehicle.
By following these steps, you greatly reduce the risk of you or anyone else
inadvertently bumping the throttle control levers and causing the mobility
vehicle to move unintentionally.
Has anyone been injured by the erratic, unintended motion of an electric
mobility vehicle?
The FDA has reports of injuries that resulted from uncontrolled motion of electric
mobility vehicles, but it is not clear just how many of those injuries were actually
caused by EMI/RFI.
Are all electric mobility vehicles susceptible to EMI/RFI?
Each make and model of electric vehicle differs in its ability to resist EMI/RFI.
Every mobility vehicle has a particular level of resistance to EMI/RFI. This
resistance is measured in volts per meter (V/m). A higher resistance level offers
greater protection against EMI/RFI. In other words, an electric mobility vehicle
with a high resistance level is less likely to be affected by a strong radio source
than is an electric mobility vehicle with a low resistance level.
What is the FDA doing about the problem?
The FDA has written to electric mobility vehicle manufacturers and requested
that those manufacturers test their new mobility vehicle models to be certain that
they provide a reasonable degree of resistance against EMI/RFI. The FDA has
stated that all newly manufactured electric mobility vehicle models should have a
resistance level of at least 20V/m. This level of resistance provides a reasonable
degree of protection against the common sources of EMI/RFI.
The FDA has also requested or recommended that:
Electric mobility vehicle manufacturers clearly label new products with
their resistance level or state that the resistance level is not known.
The labeling or informational material supplied with new electric mobility
vehicles must explain what the resistance level means and warn users
about the possibility of EMI/RFI and how to avoid it.
Electric mobility vehicle manufacturers undertake an educational program
to inform electric mobility vehicle users and their caregivers about the
problems associated with EMI/RFI and about the actions they can take.
EMI/RFI CONTINUED
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General
